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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29250162">Do you know Aquaman?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lixsterr/pseuds/lixsterr'>lixsterr</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Boyz (Korea Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(if you squint), Adventure &amp; Romance, Alternate Universe - Atlantis: The Lost Empire Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Boys In Love, Fluff and Angst, Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae &amp; Moon Hyungseo | Kevin are Cousins, Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae is Whipped, Lee Juyeon (The Boyz) is Whipped, M/M, Prince Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae, Side Ship Bbangnyu, Side Ship Moonbae, Surfer Lee Juyeon (The Boyz)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 13:09:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>39,167</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29250162</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lixsterr/pseuds/lixsterr</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After saving Jaehyun, Juyeon's life was never the same.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bae Joonyoung | Jacob/Moon Hyungseo | Kevin, Choi Chanhee | New/Kim Younghoon, Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae/Lee Juyeon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>134</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. How it started</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He had been maybe five or six years old the first time. From the porch of aunt Harin's beach house, little Juyeon looked in awe at how surfers dominated the sea waves almost every day and fell in love.</p><p>Her new partner, the one she had left Korea and stayed in the States for, was the one who noticed first. Then, he had paid him an instructor with whom Juyeon took private lessons of two hours each from Wednesday to Friday. </p><p>He rushed home after summer school and diligently studied and did all his homework, looking forward to learn how to surf in the late afternoon.</p><p>English assignments took him the most time to finish, he still wasn't fluent, but his mother was positive that he was bound to be, sooner or later. She kept sending him to aunt Harin every summer for a reason after all. </p><p>His first time trying the pop-up move on a board made him realize that he didn't have a lot of balance or coordination. If he had to count on his fingers how many times he had fallen and swallowed sea water, two hands wouldn't be enough.</p><p>He wiped away tears of frustration, got up and tried again every time. He had always been too stubborn for his own good.</p><p>His hard work paid off in the end. One summer break later, he had learned how to surf properly already. </p><p>Juyeon was the happiest when he was among the waves.</p><p>At sixteen he decided to enter in his first real competition. With his new professional surfboard, a gift from his parents, he had felt confident enough to do it. It was just an amateur thing after all, nothing too big. He could do it.</p><p>"I can't do it."</p><p>Juyeon breathed out through gritted teeth as he looked at his disheveled reflection, staring back at him in the mirror over the bathroom sink. A week away from the start of the match and he felt one step away from withdrawing. </p><p>He closed his hands into two tight fists to stop them from shaking and decided it was about time he stopped panicking. He changed into his swim trunks and took his board from where it was stored behind the door of his room. Left a sticky note to let his aunt know of his whereabouts and went out.</p><p>"Juyeon!"</p><p>Juyeon looked up just in time to see a blonde boy offshore waving energetically at him. He shook his head, a little fond smile on his face as he laid down stomach first on his surfboard and swam towards his friend. </p><p>"Did your parents finally buy you contact lenses, Eric?"</p><p>He asked as he sat up, so he too was straddling the board. The blonde pushed his wet fringe back from his forehead and rolled his eyes when Juyeon chuckled.</p><p>"Ah, ah, ah. So funny. No, they didn't, but I don't have to see your stupid face to recognize you! The <em>hideous</em> color of your board is a dead give away on its own!"</p><p>Eric stuck his tongue out childishly and Juyeon just splashed him with some water in retaliation.</p><p>"Hey! There's nothing wrong with light green!"</p><p>"Juyeon, my friend, that's not light green."</p><p>"Alright, maybe it's more of a lime gre-"</p><p>"<em>Neon</em> lime green!"</p><p>They bickered about the color of Juyeon's surfboard long enough for their older friend to catch up with them.</p><p>"Sangyeon!"</p><p>"Are you going to actually do some surfing? Or do you plan to argue like an old married couple the whole day?"</p><p>Both Eric and Juyeon looked at each other with mirrored disgusted faces at that, making Sangyeon laugh loudly. </p><p>"Where have you been?"</p><p>Juyeon nodded to the wetsuit the brunette was wearing with a raised eyebrow. The older crossed his arms over his chest, a smug smile stretching its way on his face.</p><p>"The old pier. Near the rock cliffs cove."</p><p>"No way!"</p><p>Eric gasped, shaking his head in disbelief, while Juyeon just looked at Sangyeon with star filled eyes.</p><p>Only the bravest went to surf there, it was dangerous. </p><p>Sharp pointy rocks everywhere and the waves crashed against them full force, creating vortexes that could suck you up.</p><p>"They're going to close that place for good, when one of your stupid show off asses is gonna get themselves killed."</p><p>"Oh, c'mon Eric! Don't be like that, two more years and you'll be old enough to surf with our stupid show off asses too-" Sangyeon ruffled the younger's wet hair with a fond little smile as Eric pouted in displeasure "-by the way, I heard about the competition, Juyeon! Congratulations! You'll do great, I’m sure!"</p><p>Juyeon thanked his friend with a tight lipped smile and Sangyeon read right through it. He sensed his anxiousness and tried to reassure him, by telling him about how it took him to compete in three competitions before he actually won something. </p><p>"Just remember that you're doing it for yourself. Surfing makes you happy, right?" Sangyeon waited for Juyeon to nod in response "-then that's all that matters."</p><p>With that said, he left, oblivious to the little niggle he had put at the back on Juyeon's mind. </p><p>He couldn't stop thinking about the old pier and the fact that he could improve his skills remarkably, if he went to surf there. It was scary, but looking like an idiot at the match was scarier.</p><p>"The sea is angry there." </p><p>That was what his aunt used to say to dissuade him from venturing to the cove alone and now he understood why.</p><p>The waves were really the best he had ever seen and as soon as he set foot on the sand of the cove, he felt the need to chase them.</p><p>It took him a lot effort to even get past the lower ones. He fought against the force of the current, that seemed to be determined to drag him away, and paddled toward shore trying to match the speed of the waves. He stood up on the board, but the water was just too fast and strong and he ended up falling under every time.</p><p>Juyeon gasped for air and spat out the salty water that got in his mouth, trying to orient himself where he had resurfaced.</p><p>More waves came and tried to drag him ashore, he was tempted to just let the current do its course, he had tired himself up quite a bit. But he couldn't let his guard down. If he wasn't leading the direction he was swimming to, he could end up impaled like a kebab on the rocks secluding the area. </p><p>Once he reached the sand, he let himself lay there on his back trying to catch his breath. Eyes squinting as he looked up at the bright but cloudy sky.</p><p>A lone seagull flew over him mewing and Juyeon closed his eyes with a sigh, letting the waves nudge at him where he was resting.</p><p>Then he heard it, someone was screaming. </p><p>He had been sure that he was the only one at the pier, but it sounded like he was wrong. Juyeon stood up abruptly scanning the cove to spot the person desperately asking for help. </p><p>He saw a glimpse of blonde hair disappear underwater by the decaying wooden pier bridge.</p><p>"Fuck!"</p><p>He cursed, unfastening the surfboard leash from his ankle with shaking hands and threw the board on the dry sand, safe from the waves that could snatch it away. </p><p>Then he run and jumped in the water, swimming towards the young boy still screaming for help. The waves kept taking his blonde head underwater and Juyeon felt himself panicking. </p><p>"Hey!"</p><p>"My foot is stuck!"</p><p>The blonde chocked out in a sob, spitting out the water that had gotten into his mouth, when another wave had hit him. Juyeon grabbed him by the waist, trying to keep both of them afloat. He didn't want the boy to drown, while he was trying to save him.</p><p>"Hold onto the wood post, so you won't get dragged down!"</p><p>Juyeon instructed and the boy, albeit not entirely convinced, obliged hugging the wood log covered in seaweed tightly.</p><p>He breathed in and then went underwater holding onto the other to not let the strong current pull him away. He opened his eyes squinting them against the saltiness of the water and easily spotted the problem.</p><p>He swam under, one of his hand gripping at the blonde's pant leg and with the other hand pushed at the rock trapping his foot. He gritted his teeth, bubbles of air coming out in a stream as he opened his mouth in a silent scream. The rock had moved slightly, but Juyeon had to come up for air. </p><p>Back to the surface, he gasped as if he had been drowning and coughed out the water he had swallowed.</p><p>"You okay?"</p><p>The blonde asked with big dark doe eyes and Juyeon felt his heart constrict in his chest.</p><p>"Don't worry about me, you have to push with your other foot on the rock, okay? I can't do it with only one hand!"</p><p>The boy nodded profusely as he adjusted his hold on the wooden post. Juyeon breathed in again and went under. With the blonde's help freeing him became a little easier, they pushed together moving the rock out of the way and then Juyeon helped him ashore.</p><p>Now that the other wasn't in danger of dying anymore, Juyeon could get a good look at him. He looked as young as him with short and dishelved blonde wet hair, doll like perfect skin dotted by cute little moles, pointy nose and thin pinkish lips pouting in displeasure as he massaged his injured foot. He was very pretty.</p><p>Juyeon raised an eyebrow at the clothes the blonde was wearing, they didn't look fit to go for a swim in the ocean. A long white and flowy linen see through shirt with a belt string to match, and black pants, no shoes. Almost medieval looking.</p><p>The brunette kneeled on the sand beside the stranger and pulled his delicate jeweled hands away from his hurting ankle to get a look at it too.</p><p>The skin was a little scraped but there wasn't any blood, it looked fine. Juyeon sighed visibly relieved.</p><p>"It doesn't look too bad."</p><p>"But it hurts."</p><p>The blonde looked at him with glassy eyes and quivering lips and Juyeon felt the need to start crying too. He shook his head and stood up offering him a hand to help him up.</p><p>"C'mon. My aunt is a nurse, maybe she can take a look at it."</p><p>He accepted the hand with a frown on his annoyingly pretty face and Juyeon pulled him up with a sigh. The blonde hissed loudly, quickly getting the weight off his injured foot and leaning heavily against Juyeon.</p><p>"C-can you walk?"</p><p>He asked clearing his throat awkwardly and kept the blonde upright by his thin waist. The stranger whined pathetically, looking at him with his big dark eyes and Juyeon was under his spell again. </p><p>"Alright, I'll carry you. C'mon."</p><p>He pulled him up bridal style and started walking. He promised mentally to his light lime green ("It's not neon green, Eric! Shut up!") surfboard, still laying where he had thrown it, that he was coming back to get it as soon as the blonde was okay.</p><p>"What's your name?"</p><p>"Juyeon. Lee Juyeon."</p><p>The blonde smiled, making himself more comfortable against Juyeon's wetsuit cladded chest.</p><p>"Thank you for saving me, Lee Juyeon."</p><p>The brunette almost tripped over his own feet in the sand, when he felt the boy nuzzle his face under his chin. </p><p>"N-no, no problem."</p><p>"I'm Lee Jaehyun, by the way."</p><p>Lee Jaehyun seemed to be completely oblivious to the stuttering mess Juyeon had become, since they had started talking. </p><p>"How did you end up stuck under there, Jaehyun?"</p><p>"I like to collect <em>things</em> and there was something under the wooden post that looked shiny and I wanted to get it."</p><p>"Collect things? Like what? Strangely shaped stones?"</p><p>"Might as well be stones... I don't really know."</p><p>Jaehyun mumbled under his breath and the brunette decided to drop the argument. He brought the blonde home, calling loudly for his aunt and realizing it was early and she probably was still at work.</p><p>He lent the other some of his dry clothes and left him in the bathroom to change, while he did the same in his room. Then he prepared himself a sandwich, and as an afterthought prepared a second one for his host.</p><p>When he went back upstairs with the plate of food and something to drink, he found Jaehyun balancing on one leg as he nosed around his room. Juyeon cleared his throat and the blonde flushed embarrassedly at having been caught.</p><p>"I'm sorry."</p><p>"It's okay, just... ask next time. It's not very polite."</p><p>Jaehyun nodded and accepted the sandwich with a frown. Juyeon dug into his snack with the appetite of someone that hadn't eaten for days, surfing had that effect on him. He looked with a raised eyebrow at the blonde, the latter was staring at him holding the sandwich in his hands awkwardly.</p><p>"What? You don't like sandwiches?"</p><p>"Sand? I don't eat sand, thank you."</p><p>He looked at the food making a face and shook his head handing it to Juyeon. The brunette slowed down his chewing trying to understand what was happening.</p><p>"I don't either? You've never eaten a sandwich before?"</p><p>"Never."</p><p>"Well... there's not sand in it, it's bread, ham and cheese. It's good, try it."</p><p>Jaehyun didn't look too convinced but took a bite of his sandwich and chewed it warily. Then he gasped loudly with his eyes wide open in surprise.</p><p>"You liked it?"</p><p>The blonde nodded looking at his now empty plate and then up at Juyeon battling his eyelashes.</p><p>"You... you want another one?"</p><p>"Yes!" He exclaimed happily and then as an afterthought added "Please."</p><p>Juyeon carried the other downstairs and sat him on the stool in front on the kitchen island, to keep an eye on him, and prepared another sandwich.</p><p>Jaehyun was looking at him working as if it was the most interesting thing he had ever seen. When he was done, he handed the food to him with a glass of orange juice, that Jaehyun warily sniffed at, before drinking.</p><p>"You're so weird."</p><p>"You're weird too, Lee Juyeon."</p><p>They spent the rest of the afternoon together in front of the tv watching cartoons and Jaehyun seemed to be entranced by them.</p><p>"You don't have a tv at home?"</p><p>And Juyeon had to explain what a television was, before the blonde could answer.</p><p>His phone pinged annoyingly from the kitchen counter and the brunette run to get it, rolling his eyes at the amount of text messages Eric was sending him.</p><p>He walked back to sit on the couch beside Jaehyun as he scrolled through them. His friend worried about him all afternoon, when he hadn't found him at the beach or at home. He started typing an answer and the blonde beamed.</p><p>"You collect them too?"</p><p>"What?"</p><p>Jaehyun pointed excitedly at the phone in Juyeon's hands and then smiled smugly, crossing his arms over his chest.</p><p>"I have twelve of those."</p><p>"You have twelve iPhones? And no tv?"</p><p>The blonde deflated quickly and went back to watch the cartoons playing in front of him with a big pout. Juyeon shook his head with a sigh at the absurdity. </p><p>His aunt came home with take out for just the two of them, her partner was out of town for work.</p><p>"Juyeon, who is your new friend?"</p><p>"Aunt this is Jaehyun. Jaehyun, aunt Harin."</p><p>With the presentations out of the way and a little explaining about how they met (omitting the part where he had went to the old pier to surf without permission), Juyeon's aunt medicated Jaehyun with care.</p><p>"I'm pretty sure it's sprained, I can't tell if the bone is broken without a scan though. Is there someone we can call?"</p><p>Jaehyun looked at the woman with his head tilted to the side, making him look like a confused puppy. </p><p>"Call?"</p><p>"Yeah, your parents? Do you have their phone numbers?"</p><p>"Phone numbers?"</p><p>"Where do you live? I can drive you home, if you give me the address."</p><p>"Uhm..."</p><p>Aunt Harin looked at his nephew for help and Juyeon just shrugged in response with a mumbled "Maybe he hit his head too."</p><p>They shared take out and Jaehyun fell in love with fried chicken. Apparently, sandwiches weren't the only thing he had never eaten before.</p><p>Juyeon's aunt let the blonde stay for the night, with the promise to take him to the hospital the next morning and investigate more on the mysterious boy.</p><p>Juyeon slept on the couch in the living room, turning left and right in the vain attempt to get comfortable. He managed to fall asleep sometime after midnight, but when his aunt woke him up, it seemed to him that he had only closed his eyes just then.</p><p>"Where is Jaehyun?"</p><p>"Jaehyun...? He was sleeping in my ro-"</p><p>"He's not there."</p><p>Juyeon felt suddenly more awake, he scrambled up the stairs to his room. The bed was unmade where Jaehyun had slept, but the blonde wasn't there anymore. He checked the adjacent bathroom and found the sweatshirt and shorts he had lent him by the sink, the wet clothes he had hanged over the tub to dry weren't there anymore.</p><p>He had left, just like that. </p><p>Aunt Harin brought him to the police station that same morning to report his missing. There wasn't a Lee Jaehyun living anywhere in their city that matched Juyeon's description, but they assured the two that they were going to update them on any progress made in their research.</p><p>It was only later that afternoon that Juyeon remembered about his surfboard. He felt bad, but after everything that had happened and Jaehyun, he had simply forgotten.</p><p>He went back to the old pier with his heart in his throat, praying every deities he knew that no one had taken it. He arrived at the cove out of breath and just like Jaehyun that morning, even his surfboard had disappeared.</p><p>He kneeled on the sand looking at the empty spot where had left it with glassy eyes. He needed it for the competition in a week, how was he going to surf without a board? He couldn't ask his parents or his uncles for a new one... too expensive. He'd have to ask Eric to-</p><p>A couple of bare feet, one bandaged, came into view and Juyeon recognized them. He sniffed, wiping angrily at his eyes before looking up at Jaehyun.</p><p>The blonde was wearing different clothes, an aquamarine shirt, similar to the one he had been wearing when they first met, with intricate laces on his chest and sleeves, and white pants.</p><p>"What are you doing here? Why did you leave like that?"</p><p>"Lee Juyeon-" Jaehyun started as he pulled the brunette up by his shoulders "-in the name of His Majesty Lee Chin Hae, King of Atlantis, Ocean Master and Ruler of the Seven Seas... to repay your kindness and heroic deeds-"</p><p>"What are you-"</p><p>"You saved me, remember? Please accept this as a token of gratitude."</p><p>Jaehyun bowed and held in front of him a necklace: it looked made out of silver with a translucent crystal in the same color of the blonde's shirt as a pendant.</p><p>"I don't understand... I came here for my board and-"</p><p>"Board? The wood thing you use on the waves?"</p><p>"A surfboard, yeah."</p><p>Jaehyun smiled brightly at him and pushed the necklace into Juyeon's hands.</p><p>"Oh, I brought it home with me! I didn't know you were going to keep it!"</p><p>"Why wouldn't I want to keep it? Look, thanks for the necklace, but I want my board back."</p><p>Jaehyun frowned in displeasure at the way Juyeon had just dismissed his precious gift, but reminded himself to be patient, he was of a different species after all.</p><p>"I'm the Prince of Atlantis-"</p><p>He wasn't able to finish his explanation, because Juyeon had started laughing loudly in his face. The brunette stopped altogether when he saw that Jaehyun wasn't laughing along with him.</p><p>"Oh my... you're serious, aren't you?"</p><p>"<em>Very</em>. As I was saying, I'm the Prince of Atlantis, the thirteenth and only son of King Lee's children."</p><p>When he saw that Juyeon was too busy opening and closing his mouth like a fish to interrupt him again, Jaehyun smiled and continued.</p><p>"The necklace I gifted you is made out of a special crystal found only on the King's crown. It will allow you to breathe underwater and access to my Kingdom. You saved my life, after all. And my Father wants to meet you in person."</p><p>"I must be dreaming."</p><p>Jaehyun flinched and looked worriedly at Juyeon, when the brunette slapped himself hard on the cheek to check if he was really sleeping.</p><p>"Are you... okay?"</p><p>"Definitely not dreaming then."</p><p>"I'll give you back your precious wooden board too. You need to follow me underwater first-" he pointed to a very big mountain rock off shore overlooking the pier bridge "-there's a cave under there, the door to Atlantis. Don't worry, you have the necklace, the sea is not going to hurt you."</p><p>He said pulling Juyeon towards the water by the wrist. The brunette seemed to come back to his senses as soon as his feet got wet. He struggled against Jaehyun's hold and the blonde let go of him instantly.</p><p>"This is absurd! Diving there means suicide, the current is too strong an-"</p><p>Jaehyun stopped his rumbling by putting the necklace over his head, so the crystal was now resting securely against his chest. He intertwined the fingers of their hands together, looking at Juyeon with his hypnotizing dark eyes and pulled him gently along. And Juyeon followed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Falling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Juyeon didn't understand how he was still alive. He had willingly followed the blonde, Prince (apparently), underwater to his death and he was still alive.</p><p>As soon as he had touched the water, the crystal of his new necklace had glowed blue and the sea all around him had seemed to just <em>still</em>. No waves, no currents, nothing.</p><p>He tentatively opened his eyes, squinting them on reflex to the saltiness of the water, but found out that it wasn't bothering him anymore. He blinked, adjusting his sight to the little light the crystal was providing, still trying to hold his breath as long as he could. </p><p>One look into Jaehyun's dark eyes and he knew that if the blonde were to drown him, Juyeon was going to let him. They had that effect.</p><p>And then, Juyeon <em>breathed</em>.</p><p>It came as easily underwater as it did on land. But he didn't get enough time to process what was happening, because Jaehyun was already swimming away and pulling him along. </p><p>The blonde smiled reassuringly at him and it looked like, he too wasn't having any trouble breathing underwater. He held Juyeon's hand tightly in his own and took him to the base of the mountain rock, he had pointed at him earlier, and through the entrance of an hidden cave.</p><p>Juyeon re-emerged to the other side and he thought that if he wasn't dead, then he was certainly dreaming.</p><p>"Welcome to Atlantis, Lee Juyeon."</p><p>Jaehyun said, letting go of the brunette's hand to climb the set of white stoned stairs in front of them. The steps started underwater and Juyeon almost tripped over them in his haste to follow the blonde.</p><p>The staircase led to a matching wide bridge, made out too of raw white stones, that cut through an endless looking sea of crystal blue water.</p><p>No book he had read nor movie he had seen could've prepared him for what was in front of him.</p><p>The long pathway was adorned on either side by tall statues of men he had never seen before, they all were wearing a crown and holding in a tight fist the exact same trident, both accessories were made of gold shining brightly under the sun.</p><p>"These are all the past rulers of Atlantis. Lee Sukchin, my great-great-great-great grandfather. Oh! And Lee Kangdae, my great-great-great-gre-"</p><p>Juyeon didn't know how many <em>great</em> were there, he had lost count. Jaehyun explained more, pointing at different statues as they walked along the bridge.</p><p>The more they advanced and the more the land on the other side became visible.</p><p>Atlantis wasn't anything like one would've imagined. It was a city out of time. It just couldn't fit in one historical era alone.</p><p>Houses of different size and style were scattered around a big square. They looked like a mix between ancient Roman and modern Greek ones. All built out of white bricks with steep roofs made of raw blue aquamarine stones. In the middle of the town square, there was a large fountain with a bigger statue of another man.</p><p>"My Father, King Lee Chin Hae. Current Sovereign of the Kingdom of Atlantis."</p><p>Jaehyun told him as Juyeon looked in awe at it and at the tall palace, that could be seen in the distance. Bright white like the rest, adorned by imposing columns.</p><p>The people walking around the streets wore fine medieval clothes, like the ones Jaehyun was wearing, but simpler and minus the golden jewelry. They all looked happy and bowed respectfully to the blonde, when the two walked past them.</p><p>"Catfish got your tongue?"</p><p>"I- I don't... is this real?"</p><p>Before Jaehyun could answer his question, a couple of gold armored soldiers, holding a spear each, came running towards them.</p><p>"Your Highness!-" they both bowed deeply in front of Jaehyun, while an older man caught up with them"-His Majesty, the King is-"</p><p>"Where have you been, Lee Jaehyun?"</p><p>The newly arrived man had a necklace similar to the one Jaehyun had just given Juyeon. He too was wearing an armor with a sword strapped to his belt, the cobalt blue of his cape suggested that he was of a higher rank. The addressed blonde hid behind Juyeon, using the brunette as a shield between himself and the man.</p><p>"General Kim! Fancy seeing you here!"</p><p>"I thought we agreed that you weren't to venture on Land without me <em>again</em>? What if-"</p><p>"Nothing happened! I didn't even have to leave the cove! Juyeon came on his own!"</p><p>The Prince defended himself, peeking behind Juyeon's shoulder with big innocent eyes. General Kim sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly.</p><p>"Your Father won't be pleased-" then, the man turned his attention to Juyeon clad in his swim shorts and tattered shirt "-Lee Juyeon! It's a honor to finally be able to meet you. I heard a lot about you!"</p><p>"You did?"</p><p>Juyeon looked over his own shoulder at the curly haired blonde, still hiding behind him, in question.</p><p>"I'm Kim Chunghee, General in charge of His Majesty King Lee Chin Hae's troops. And also, of the safety of <em>that</em> young rascal-" General Kim nodded towards Jaehyun, who had now come to stand beside Juyeon, latching to his arm "-the King wants to meet you, Lee Juyeon. Better not make him wait."</p><p>General Kim, and the two guards with him, escorted Juyeon and the Prince through the city streets to the Royal Palace situated in the middle of the island.</p><p>The building inside was even more impressive, with more columns and tall ceilings that made Juyeon feel small.</p><p>"Ain't I underdressed?"</p><p>The brunette asked, when yet another one of the servitude had bowed and walked past them in their elegant and flowy clothes.</p><p>"What do you mean?"</p><p>"If I had known I was meeting a King, I would've worn a shirt without holes in it."</p><p>Jaehyun laughed loudly, still holding onto his arm and Juyeon felt a little more reassured with him near.</p><p>The two soldiers with the spears positioned themselves on each side of a massive double door and opened it for them. A cobalt blue rug went from the entrance all the way to a high set of stairs, that lifted up the Throne.</p><p>The Throne was an imposing one, made out of white granite with golden inlays. The man who was sitting on it, looked to be in his forties with short black hair and a beard to match. On his head rested a heavy looking crown with embedded aquamarine crystals and in a tight fist held a golden trident.</p><p>"Your Majesty-" General Kim started as he kneeled in front of the man, eyes pointed respectfully to the floor "-allow me to introduce you to Lee Juyeon."</p><p>Juyeon gulped and it seemed to echo loudly through the big and silent room. When his eyes met Lee Chin Hae's ones, the brunette quickly bowed too, not knowing what else to do.</p><p>The King stood up and descended the stairs, the long cobalt blue one-shoulder cape flowing hypnotizingly behind his back and covering part of his elegant golden robes and armor.</p><p>"So, <em>you</em> are the human from Land who saved my son?"</p><p>Jaehyun left his side before the brunette could even think of an intelligent answer to give the King. He put himself protectingly between Juyeon and his father, looking displeased.</p><p>"Father, you're scaring him."</p><p>"It wasn't my intention."</p><p>"No? Then what are you doing all dressed up to go to war?"</p><p>Jaehyun scoffed with a raised eyebrow, hands on his hips like a mother scolding his child. The King raised the hand, that wasn't holding the trident, in a placating gesture.</p><p>"I admit that I got a little carried awa-"</p><p>"<em>A little</em>? The only thing that's missing are the troops marching inside the Throne Room in full gear!"</p><p>"Humans can be dangerous, you know that. I'd do anything to ensure your safety, since you don't have any regard for it. Do I have to remind you that you got hurt because you disobeyed me <em>again</em> in the first place? You could've-"</p><p>"But nothing happened. Because Juyeon, <em>a human</em>, was there and helped me."</p><p>It ensued a staring contest between father and son, one that the King seemed to be losing. It looked like Juyeon wasn't the only one having a hard time refusing the blonde anything. </p><p>In the end, Juyeon, as a way to repay him for saving Jaehyun, was allowed to keep the necklace and come and go as he pleased, provided that he wasn't going to reveal what he had seen to anyone, penalty of death (extreme, but reasonable), and that he was going to join the Prince for his daily lessons.</p><p>At the prospect of learning more about the history and culture of a Kingdom that the whole world thought was lost and of spending more time with the blonde, Juyeon couldn't refuse.</p><p>Five stone bridges, like the one he crossed everyday to visit Jaehyun, connected the island of Atlas to the hidden passages to Land. That was how Atlanteans called the world outside their confines.</p><p>Only Atlanteans of royal blood could cross those passages and breathe underwater. The only way for commoners or for mere humans, like Juyeon, to pass through them was to be in possession of a crystal. As Jaehyun had explained to him once, those were a rare kind, found only on the golden crown of the King of Atlantis.</p><p>"Are more humans like me allowed to set foot here?"</p><p>Juyeon asked one day. The Royal Advisor and Jaehyun's mentor, Moon Daeshim, adverted his eyes from the parchment the blonde Prince was writing to the book Juyeon was leafing through.</p><p>"There was one. But not anymore."</p><p>"Why not?"</p><p>"Humans feel warranted to take, take and take. Take all that's pure and beautiful in the world and either corrupt or destroy it. Regardless of the consequences. They're selfish creatures, their only concern is their own well-being, nothing else matters to them."</p><p>"But not all humans are like that. I am not like that."</p><p>Jaehyun rested his quill on the table with shaking hands and excused himself out of the room. Juyeon looked at him go with a frown and was about to get up and follow, when Daeshim stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>"Let him be, he'll come back."</p><p>"Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry, I just, I don't underst-"</p><p>"No, of course not. I should be the one apologizing to you, Juyeon. I didn't mean to offend you or assume that you're like the rest with my statement. You have a crystal for a reason, after all."</p><p>"Then why-"</p><p>"His name was Jung Mal Chin. Human, and a very determined one. He spent so many years looking for Atlantis, that, when he found one of the passages, His Majesty decided to reward his dedication with a necklace-" Daeshim explained and nodded pointedly towards the pendant, that Juyeon was distractingly playing with "-and he wanted to learn, just like you. But knowledge wasn't the only thing he was greedy for. Mal Chin suggested... that Atlantis should share its treasures and secrets with the world."</p><p>"And the King refused."</p><p>"He did. And then, Mal Chin revealed his true self. He stole from the crown and smuggled other people through the passage. They abducted the Prince. Jaehyun was maybe two years of age at the time. In the chaos that erupted that night, Her Majesty Lee Sooyun, the Queen, trying to get him back... died. And Mal Chin disappeared."</p><p>Jaehyun didn't come back to the library that day and the brunette found him in the Royal Gardens, the green and spacious area caged between the walls of the Palace.</p><p>Juyeon didn't say anything and sat down on the stone bench close to the Prince. And he too looked ahead at the statue of a beautiful woman sleeping peacefully on a bed of white flowers, moved gently by the sea breeze.</p><p>"Iris was her favorite flower. Everything I know about her comes from my sisters. Father doesn't talk about her, never. You know, I barely even remember her face-" Jaehyun choked out, fingers clenching tightly at the fabric of his pants "-she gave her life away for me and I can't even remember her face."</p><p>The blonde half chuckled as more tears run down his cheeks and Juyeon hugged him close, letting him cry against his chest. He sniffed and looked up, blinking rapidly to stop himself from crying too. He stroked Jaehyun's back reassuringly, feeling his heart break the more he listened to his sobs.</p><p>They never talked about Lee Sooyun again, but Juyeon learned that Jaehyun had inherited all of her traits. That's what the Princesses, Jaehyun's twelve older sisters, told him anyway, it wasn't hard to see though: the beauty, kindness and natural curiosity... Part of the reason why the King was so overprotective of his youngest son, to the point that Jaehyun was the only one of his children assigned with a personal guard.</p><p>Loud, obstinate, sincere, naive... that was all of Jaehyun too. And more than not, the King's will clashed against Jaehyun's stubbornness.</p><p>The Prince often and willingly escaped General Kim's watchful eye and ventured beyond the borders of Atlantis on his own. He didn't believe that all humans were dangerous like his Father told him, and wanted to judge for himself. He liked to contently observe humans from the beach cove and bring back mysterious objects lost or forgotten to collect them. That was how they had first met, after all.</p><p>Rules were more restricted now that Juyeon was in the picture and if the Prince didn't want to lose his new friend, he had to abide by them.</p><p>Jaehyun was allowed to wait for Juyeon in front of the fountain. Front of the fountain became the bridge. And the bridge became the staircase closest to the passage, but that was as far as his father was willing to concede in the end.</p><p>"Hi, Juyeon."</p><p>Jaehyun greeted him with a gentle smile, from where he was perched on top of the white set of stairs.</p><p>Juyeon pushed back the dripping fringe of his hair and waved back as he caught up with the blonde.</p><p>"How did your competition go? I'm sorry than I couldn't be there to see it."</p><p>"Ah, it's fine. I didn't win, not even close to it. You didn't miss anything important, really."</p><p>"I missed <em>you</em>-" Jaehyun said pointedly and the brunette ignored the weird feeling blooming in his chest at the words, his heart seemed to malfunction every time the blonde was near him anyway "-and you <em>are</em> important."</p><p>"Still, I lost again, so... this is for you by the way. For your collection."</p><p>Jaehyun, now successfully distracted, jumped up and down excitedly as he opened the plastic waterproof bag Juyeon handed him. He pulled out a shiny black tablet as big as the palm of his hand, just like the ones he kept in a basket under his bed.</p><p>"An apple!"</p><p>"It's not an apple. It's a phone. Pho-ne. Apple is t-"</p><p>"Whatever. Thank you so much, Juyeonie!"</p><p>"I-it's not a big deal-" Juyeon stuttered out, ears turning red when the blonde hugged him tightly "-my parents bought me a new one for my birthday. So, I don't really need this one anymore."</p><p>General Kim waited for them in front of the fountain at the end of the stone bridge. The man was there to escort both of them to the Palace and to make sure that Juyeon wasn't smuggling in things from Land.</p><p>Even if it was forbidden, Chunghee was kind enough to let him bring books, food or other small objects that he thought Jaehyun was going to like.</p><p>When Juyeon came to visit, he joined the Prince during his lessons and then, they spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach nearest to the passage that he needed to go back through.</p><p>"So, can you talk to fishes?"</p><p>"What kind of weird question is that? Of course not. Not to all fishes at least, they have their own languages. I can speak Dolphinese though, but just the basics."</p><p>"Just the basics of Dolphinese?!"</p><p>"Don't be an <em>assbole</em> with me, okay? It's hard to learn!"</p><p>"I knew I shouldn't have taught you how to curse. It's not assbole, it's asshole. And I wasn't being one-" Juyeon quickly reassured the blonde, when he saw him pouting in displeasure "-I was just surprised. I didn't know it was something you could learn."</p><p>"I could teach you! Want to give it a try?"</p><p>There was a lot of clicking sounds and whistling involved and, after a dolphin, with dark grey spots all over its body, swam towards them and bumped its head friendly against Jaehyun's hand, Juyeon felt confident enough to give it a try himself.</p><p>He mimicked, as best as he could, what the blonde had done, but the dolphin just spat water in his face and swam away.</p><p>"That went well."</p><p>The brunette commented, after he had sputtered out the sea water that got into his mouth.</p><p>"You messed up the sounds! You didn't say something very nice about its mother."</p><p>Jaehyun bursted out in a loud laugh after that, and Juyeon realized right then and there, that surfing wasn't the only thing he had fallen in love with.</p><p>He had known since day one, that the blonde was pretty with his all doll-like features, big sparkling eyes and lean body.</p><p>But Juyeon came to the realization that he was gay, and not having a Jaehyun's phase (that's what he called it in his head), only a year later, when he had kissed a guy for the first time at Sangyeon's pool party and he had liked it. Way more than kissing his past girlfriend.</p><p>After that, he just couldn't stop thinking about kissing-</p><p>"Jaehyun, I'm gay."</p><p>It had taken him months to feel brave enough to come out to his friends and family, and even more to come out to Jaehyun, the newly discovered object of his affection.</p><p>The blonde stopped turning the pages of the new picture book, about a dolphin named Bubbles, that Juyeon had gifted him and looked up at the brunette with a frown and his head tilted to the side cutely.</p><p>"What does it mean?"</p><p>"Right-" Juyeon mumbled under his breath and clasped his hands together in front of him to stop them from nervously shaking "-I'm homosexual... I like boys."</p><p>"Oh!"</p><p>"...oh?"</p><p>"Juyeonie, I'm confused... I don't really kno-"</p><p>"I'm sorry, it's... it's just, it's important on Land to, you know, say it and-"</p><p>"What should <em>I</em> say then?"</p><p>"I- I don't know... congratulations?"</p><p>"Congratulations!"</p><p>Jaehyun exclaimed excitedly and jumped up to hug the brunette to cheer him up. Juyeon huffed out a chuckle and hugged the blonde back tightly.</p><p>"You... you don't have to say it just <em>because</em>. I'd understand if you found it weird."</p><p>"Why would I find it weird?"</p><p>"Aren't same gender relationships forbidden or something in Atlantis?"</p><p>"What? Oh, no! Gender doesn't really matter, as long as one is happy. For example, my sister, Sooah, do you remember her? She is being courted by a Princess from one of the Seven Seas."</p><p>"So, you're allowed to be with anyone... with royal blood?"</p><p>"No, of course not! Not necessarily. Like I said, it doesn't really matter. But traditions must be honored, so, I have to be courted for at least a year and then get married by my twentythird birthday."</p><p>Jaehyun shrugged as if he had just explained the most normal thing in the world (because, for him, it was) and Juyeon felt the hope that had been building inside of him slowly deflate.</p><p>"Courting?"</p><p>"Yeah, courting-" the blonde intertwined the fingers of both their hands together and swung them back and forth between their bodies "-you know, to find the rightful suitor. But I mean, I don't see myself changing my mind anytime soon. I already made my choice."</p><p>"But- who?"</p><p>"What do you mean <em>who</em>. You're the one who has been courting me for the past year and half!"</p><p>"Was I?!"</p><p>The blonde slowly let go of Juyeon's hands and took a step back to look better at the brunette. </p><p>"Weren't you? I mean, I thought- with all the gifts and everything-"</p><p>"Maybe... unconsciously? I just, I didn't know I was required to do <em>that</em>!"</p><p>"So, you didn't mean to?"</p><p>Jaehyun looked to be a little troubled as he put more distance between himself and Juyeon. The brunette quickly reached out for Jaehyun's hands, stopping him from getting further away.</p><p>"No! I mean, yes... but no?"</p><p>"You're so weird, Lee Juyeon."</p><p>Jaehyun chuckled and shook his head, panicking Juyeon was very endearing. The younger sighed loudly, feeling relieved that the Prince was slowly going back to his usual cheerful self.</p><p>"What I'm trying to say is, I like you, Jaehyun. Like, a lot. On Land... we date, mostly. It's just a little differ-"</p><p>"Show me then!"</p><p>The Prince couldn't really leave the island and Atlantis didn't exactly offer the same means of entertainment that Land did, but the brunette had taken it upon himself  to make Jaehyun have the best human dating experience possible. </p><p>Juyeon quickly understood that between <em>courting</em> and dating Jaehyun, there wasn't really that much of a difference. He still brought him gifts and they still spent time alone together, at the beach or in the Prince's chambers, talking, doing picnics, playing board games or watching movies on Juyeon's tablet (that he brought along from home for their movie dates). It wasn't much, but Jaehyun seemed to have never been happier.</p><p>"Jaehyun, can I kiss you?"</p><p>He had asked the Prince one afternoon, in the privacy of his bedroom. The soft light coming from the desktop of his iPad making Jaehyun's eyes twinkle temptingly.</p><p>When the older nodded, Juyeon rested a hand gently on his cheek to keep him in place and then kissed him. Their first kiss together was a little messy, with Jaehyun being completely inexperienced ("What was that? Teach me!" he demanded when Juyeon pushed his tongue past the blonde's lips), but it was still special. And the best kiss he had ever had, if you asked Juyeon.</p><p>So, yeah, not that much of a difference. If you didn't count the part where they got physical.</p><p>"Did I hurt you?"</p><p>"You could never."</p><p>Jaehyun smiled lazily at the younger, while he stretched his arms and rolled around the mattress of his king size bed, till he came to rest on top of Juyeon's naked chest, sighing dreamily. The brunette's hands went to automatically rest on his bare hips, caressing the soft skin there.</p><p>"What's on your mind?"</p><p>"I'm going back to Korea tomorrow."</p><p>"But you are coming back next summer."</p><p>The Prince said pointedly, prodding at Juyeon's bottom lip with his index finger and the brunette left a kiss on its tip.</p><p>"Yeah... I just, I'm going to miss you."</p><p>"I'm going to miss you too. Till you're back."</p><p>That afternoon, Juyeon said his goodbye with the promise to come back the next summer, like he had done the year before.</p><p>"I'll wait for you."</p><p>Jaehyun reassured him, cheeks coloring red when the brunette kissed the back of both his hands, looking at the Prince like he was the most precious thing in the world.</p><p>And true to his word, the blonde waited for Juyeon, but he didn't came back that summer. Or the next. Or the one after.</p><p>"Your Highness?"</p><p>General Kim called out tentatively, keeping at a respectful distance from where the Prince was sitting on the sand of the beach cove. The man didn't have the heart to reprimand him about being where he wasn't supposed to. </p><p>"One moment."</p><p>Jaehyun voice croaked, like he had been screaming for hours, and maybe he had.  He angrily wiped away the tears running down his face as he stood up and caught up with Chunghee.</p><p>"I think you grieved him long enough, Jaehyun. It's time to move on."</p><p>The blonde's shoulders sagged in defeat, feeling his eyes getting glassy again as he let General Kim lead him back to the passage with a comforting arm around his shoulders.</p><p>Jaehyun's life went on, with his heart longing for Juyeon every day.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*hands around missing person flyers with Juyeon's pic on them* Have you seen this <em>assbole</em>?</p><p>The response I had for the first chapter was overwhelming! Thank you so so so much to every single one of you who commented, left kudos, bookmarked the story or silently read it! It means a lot to me, you have no idea! </p><p>Fun fact: while looking for the names of the original characters, I chose them because of their meaning.</p><p>I'm still not 100% sure of their accuracy, but here we go:</p><p>Lee Chin Hae (King of Atlantis) = depth of the ocean </p><p>Kim Chunghee (General and Jaehyun's personal guard) = righteous and dutiful</p><p>Moon Daeshim (Royal Advisor and Jaehyun's, and Juyeon’s too, mentor) = greatest mind</p><p>I think they suit their roles quite well, what do you think?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Coming Back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Mrs. Lee had knocked on the door of the bathroom for the second time that morning without getting an answer, she decided that, privacy or not, she was going to check on his son anyway. </p><p>She opened the door and gasped loudly at the sight: Juyeon was laying at the bottom of the bathtub, completely submerged in water with his eyes closed, looking peacefully sleeping. The necklace with the crystal, that he never separated from, was emitting an unnatural blue light from where it was resting over his chest.</p><p>Mrs. Lee rushed to his side and mustered up all the strength she possessed in order to pull Juyeon's upper body quickly up and out of the water by his shoulders.</p><p>Juyeon blinked confusedly up at his mother's alarmed face, pushing back and out of his eyes the wet and longer strands of his now black hair.</p><p>"Mum?"</p><p>"I thought you were dead! Why do you keep doing that?! You're going to give me a heart attack!"</p><p>"I told you I can keep my breath for long periods of time. It's fine, you don't have to worry."</p><p>"Finish your bath... I'm just, I'm going to make myself some chamomile tea. Don't take too long, you have a flight to catch, remember?"</p><p>She said breathlessly and, with a hand hovering over her heart, walked out of the little bathroom. Juyeon smiled fondly at the retreating figure of his mother and slid back underwater holding onto the necklace hanging from his neck tightly.</p><p>Later that morning, his mother drove him to the airport with his younger brother. His father couldn't come because of work, but it was okay, they had already said their goodbyes the night before.</p><p>Juyeon hugged his brother and kissed his mother on the forehead, before he boarded the plane directed to the States.</p><p>He was finally going back, after four years. Four chaotic long years.</p><p>When he arrived at the airport, still jet lagged from the long flight, he waited for his suitcase to appear on the baggage carousel and almost missed it, too lost into his own head.</p><p>"Juyeon! Lee Juyeon!"</p><p>Juyeon looked up from where he was staring at the screen of his phone, that he had just turned back on (an old picture of a smiling Jaehyun still set as his wallpaper), and spotted in the crowd a  messy head of newly dyed brown hair waving at him energetically from outside the terminal. </p><p>"Eric? I didn't know you were going to pick me up-"</p><p>"Surprise! By the way-" he pointed at the slightly taller and lean dark haired man beside him, who was smiling brightly at him, showing a set of adorable dimples on his cheeks "-this is my friend-"</p><p>"Changmin, I remember him from our video calls."</p><p>"It's good to finally be able to meet you in person!"</p><p>"Likewise."</p><p>Eric made grabby hands towards his luggage to help him carry it. And, in the end, just wrestled it out of Juyeon's hands, when the latter refused to give it to him.</p><p>"Sangyeon was supposed to come too, but he couldn't make it, new promotion and all, you know how it is."</p><p>The brunette explained as he contently pushed the suitcase forward, bumping it onto Changmin's heels just to annoy him.</p><p>Juyeon followed the two to the airport parking lot and then gave Changmin, who was driving, directions to where the new apartment he had rented was. </p><p>He sighed tiredly, resting his forehead against the cool glass of the window, preparing himself mentally to listen to his friends bicker about which song they were going to listen to for the rest of their drive. (<a href="https://twitter.com/lixsterr/status/1365384004917227524?s=21"><em>Headache.</em></a>) </p><p>The apartment complex he had chosen, was of recent construction, spacious and modern. It didn't host too many units, meaning that he wasn't going to have too much trouble with noisy neighbors.</p><p>"Fancy!"</p><p>Eric whistled as soon as they had entered inside Juyeon's unit. Changmin trailing behind his raven haired friend, looking around in awe.</p><p>Juyeon smiled contently at the bonsai tree the landlady had left as a housewarming gift on top of the kitchen counter and leafed through the mail stacked near it.</p><p>"This is like three times my apartment, no joke!"</p><p>The younger of the three exclaimed from one of the rooms at the end of the long hallway, where he was still nosing around. Changmin leaned against the door frame with both hands in his jeans pockets to resist the temptation to touch everything he saw.</p><p>"You've settled in well."</p><p>"Thank you. Perks of working for a big company now, I guess."</p><p>"Won't it be weird working with someone you know?"</p><p>"I don't think so... besides me and Sangyeon probably won't see a lot of each other anyway. Since he got the promotion and everything."</p><p>Then Eric's loud squealing made both of them jump in fright. The brunette run inside the kitchen screaming and almost crashing against Changmin in his haste.</p><p>"You have a 92 inch flat screen in your living room! We are allowed to come over, right? Please, please, please!"</p><p>"Of course! I'll give you the passcode and you can come and go whenever, really, I don't mind. Living alone after so much time is a big change... I'd love the company."</p><p>Juyeon spent the weekend resting and unpacking his suitcase and the cartoon boxes he had sent there days ago. All that he wanted to keep with him from Korea was there. Now that he had accepted to work in the same company as his childhood friend Sangyeon, he was going to stay in the States for good. </p><p>The apartment was perfect, exactly like shown in the pictures he had seen online and the landlady was sweet as pie. She had kept the place clean for him and went shopping for groceries too, when he had alerted her that he was finally going to transfer.</p><p>Juyeon was twenty-two now and the new job was going to pay him good, he could afford living on his own. He still planned to visit his uncles and he knew they would've been happy to host him in their house like when he was younger, but now that he could be financially independent, going back wasn't an option.</p><p>Monday arrived sooner than he thought it would and it was time to go to the office. </p><p>Cladded in his new black suit, Juyeon nervously patted the matching knotted tie flat on his chest for the umpteenth time that morning. </p><p>He climbed the long set of concrete stairs in front of the company building, smiling tight lipped at the blonde guy playing the guitar on the steps.</p><p>Juyeon mentally promised himself to leave a couple of bills in the opened guitar case, if he was going to still be there after work, and then entered the tall company building.</p><p>He nodded to the security guards checking him in at the entrance and took the elevator to the twentythird floor.</p><p>"Good morning, Mr. Lee!"</p><p>A young man with perfectly styled short whitish-blonde hair stood up and bowed to him as soon as he entered the lobby.</p><p>"Good morning uh-"</p><p>"Choi Chanhee! Your personal assistant! I'll answer your phone calls and schedule all of your appointments-" Juyeon nodded silently as the other kept talking a mile a minute "-I'll bring you coffee and lunch at selected times of the day, everyday. I'd like for you to complete this sheet I made for allergies and food preferences, so I won't make mistakes."</p><p>Juyeon accepted the stack of papers the soft looking man in front of him was handing him and gave it a look. There were a lot of detailed questions about how he liked his coffee and a menu template for the week to fill in with what he wanted to or not to eat.</p><p>He looked back up at Chanhee, ready to reassure him about how that wasn't going to be necessary, but the other was back to talk Juyeon's ear off as he followed the taller down the hallway to his new office.</p><p>"I know you just transferred from a smaller company in Korea. So, I took the liberty to go through most of the work for the week. I didn't want you to feel overwhelmed by all the paperwork that needed to be done. You'll only need to review the documents on your desk and approve them. I arranged them by colors, see? Those with the pink post it on top have to be sent through today, those with the yellow ones are due for the end of the week. I also got you some simple black coffee, because, obviously, I didn't know what you like. It's in a travel mug, so it should still be warm."</p><p>Chanhee nodded to the folders neatly staked on the table and the pink thermos with a big smiling cat printed on it near them.</p><p>"You... you work very efficiently, Chanhee."</p><p>"Thank you. I've been working for the company for a year by now. I think I've learnt a thing of two. And this is my promotion! I look forward to work with and learn more from you, Mr. Lee."</p><p>His new personal assistant bowed and with another reminder to call him when Juyeon was done filling in the papers, he left him alone in the room.</p><p>Juyeon walked in front of the wall of floor to ceiling windows behind his desk and looked with a little sad smile at how the sea and the sky merged together in the horizon. He felt his heart constrict in his chest as he saw people surfing in the distance.</p><p>The sea had been calling for him since the day he had left. </p><p>With a heavy sigh and a more heavier heart, Juyeon turned his back to the bright view of the ocean and started to get some work done.</p><p>When lunch hour came around, Chanhee diligently brought him food, delivered from his favorite pier restaurant. He forced his personal assistant to join him to eat and, after Juyeon had assured him about how the world wasn't going to end if he left his desk for a little break, Chanhee accepted.</p><p>As they talked, Juyeon found out that Chanhee had studied fashion design and had been a shop assistant for a year, before starting to work for the Lee Enterprises.</p><p>"I know, I know. Completely different. I still like fashion, but I think that this kind of job can be more rewarding in the long run."</p><p>The younger was very dedicated to his work and seemed to have clear ideas about his future too. "I want the position of Mr. Jung as the Chief of Staff one day, he's shit at doing it." He had said and once he realized that he had basically cursed in front of his new Chief, he started to profusely apologize. Juyeon just laughed loudly.</p><p>"What about you? I know you worked in a tech company in Korea as a business developer, right?"</p><p>"Yeah, I... uh, I had just finished school four years ago. My grandfather died-" he dismissed Chanhee's whispered "I'm sorry" with a little smile "-it's okay, it was a long time ago. My father inherited the family company, but it was in serious debt... we were able to save it and sell it and then, the new CEO offered me a job in the States. And... here I am."</p><p>The conversation flowed easily after that and they were in the middle of happily chatting about anything and everything, when Sangyeon walked inside the office.</p><p>"I'm sorry to interrupt, just wanted to see how's your first day going."</p><p>"Mr. Lee!-" Chanhee stood up and bowed deeply in front of the CEO "-I'll take my leave now."</p><p>The blonde was about to rush out of the office and go back to his desk, where he was supposed to be, but Sangyeon stopped him by pushing the younger gently to sit back down in front of Juyeon's desk.</p><p>"No sense! Calm down, Chanhee. Finish your lunch first. Work is still going to be there when you're done-" Sangyeon assured him and then hugged Juyeon's head to his chest, ignoring the younger's protests, as he was still eating his burger "-I'm so sorry that I couldn't come get you from the airport with the others! I was out of town on a work trip during the weekend and-"</p><p>"Sangyeon... it's fine, really."</p><p>"I'll come and see you often from now on, my office is one floor up from yours after all. You'll get tired of seeing my face, I assure you."</p><p>Juyeon rolled his eyes, pretending to be annoyed, but couldn't help the fond smile that appeared on his face.</p><p>"You... you know each other well?"</p><p>Chanhee asked tentatively, trying to recover from the initial shock of seeing the two being so friendly with each other.</p><p>"Well? We grew up together!"</p><p>Sangyeon gasped loudly, when he tried to steal some of Juyeon's fries and the younger swatted his hand away.</p><p>"Yeah... I used to come and go from the States during summer breaks, till I was eighteen. My mother wanted me to learn English properly."</p><p>"We surfed together!"</p><p>"Oh?-" Chanhee looked at Juyeon with a raised eyebrow "You surf? Really?"</p><p>"It was a long time ago... I don't think I even know how to stand on a board anymore."</p><p>"Bullshit. It's like riding a bike, you can't just forget! We'll surf together again soon, maybe this weekend? Oh, by the way, I wanted to invite you to Mr. Jung's boat party. He's the COF of the company. If you still haven't met him, you will there, just like everyone else. Don't worry. The party is tonight and you better be there! I won't accept any excuses! Wear your best suit and don't be late-" Sangyeon took advantage of Juyeon's moment of distraction and successfully stole his precious fries "-I'll text you the details later. You're invited too Chanhee, of course. It will be fun!"</p><p>The CEO waltzed out of the office, chewing happily on Juyeon's food, and Chanhee and him finished their lunch to quickly get back to work.</p><p>Juyeon left the company as soon as his shift had ended and drove back to his apartment. True to his word, Sangyeon texted to let him know that he was going to pick him up at 7 pm sharp. ("I know that if I let you come on your own, you're not going to come at all!" his childhood friend had added then.)</p><p>Juyeon fell face first on the big couch in his living room and laid there till it wasn't time for him to get ready. </p><p>When they arrived at the party, everyone who worked at the company was present and Juyeon quickly felt overwhelmed.</p><p>He hadn't been there for long, but he was about to get outside already, with the excuse to breathe some fresh air, when Sangyeon intercepted him.</p><p>The CEO introduced him to most of the important people around the buffet with an arm securely wrapped around his shoulders. Juyeon was thankful for the older's presence. He was the only friendly face in a sea of strangers, besides Chanhee, who he had seen earlier in the night, but had now disappeared.</p><p>Business parties weren't really his thing, there were too many people and all the alcohol he had been sipping on an empty stomach was making him feel dizzy.</p><p>When it became unbearable, Juyeon excused himself and went outside. He leaned with his elbows on the handrail of the afterdeck and closed his eyes. </p><p>He was the closest to the sea, since he had arrived a couple of days ago. The closest t-</p><p>A high pitched squeak made him reopen his eyes. He looked for the source of the sound and saw a familiar looking dolphin covered in dark grey spots swimming right in front of him.</p><p>"It's true then. You're back."</p><p>Juyeon took a shaky breath in and tentatively turned around, afraid that he was just hallucinating because of the wine he had drunk.</p><p>But no, <em>he</em> was there. Jaehyun was there.</p><p>Soaked in water and barefoot. The four years that had passed easily seen in the sharper lines of his face and the defined muscles visible under the wet and see-through linen white clothes he was wearing. He was just as breathtaking as Juyeon remembered him.</p><p>"Y-you... what, what are you doing here? You're not allowed to b-"</p><p>"Would <em>you</em> have come if I didn't?"</p><p>Jaehyun asked, head tilted to the side and his lips curled up in a little smile.</p><p>"I... I don't know. I didn't know if I should have, after-"</p><p>"Why didn't you come back like you promised?"</p><p>"I wanted to! You have to believe me! But... nothing went as planned, I had to stay with my family and take care of businesses in Korea and I didn't know how to let you know, <em>please.</em> I-"</p><p>"You've never been a good liar, you know? I believe you."</p><p>Juyeon let out a shaky breath and blinked rapidly to clear away the tears he knew would've fallen if not. He felt relieved now that he knew Jaehyun believed him.</p><p>"Are you going to leave again?"</p><p>"No, of course not. I've got a job here now. There, in that building-" he pointed to the tall edifice, visible even from where they were offshore on the boat "-It pays well. If needed, I can help my family from here. So, yeah, I'm staying, for good now."</p><p>Jaehyun looked at the light up company building in awe, the sea breeze ruffling and drying gently his curly blonde hair.</p><p>"Four years are a long period of time... did you, did you find anyo-"</p><p>"No." Juyeon said firmly "Not after you, no. There couldn't be anyone else."</p><p>Jaehyun smiled as he got closer to the younger, dark eyes twinkling wickedly and Juyeon felt his knees go weak.</p><p>"Good."</p><p>And with that, the Prince pulled Juyeon in for a kiss by the lapels of his black suit jacket. It wasn't any simple kiss, it looked like they were trying to devour each other with their mouths alone. </p><p>Juyeon rested his large hands on Jaehyun's thin waist and pulled him flush against his chest, careless about getting himself wet too. He sucked onto the blonde's tongue and lips as if his life depended on it. He had missed him like crazy.</p><p>Jaehyun's moans were muffled by the younger's lips. He pulled at Juyeon's dark hair to stop him from chasing his mouth, when he pulled back to catch his breath. </p><p>Juyeon whined clearly displeased that they couldn't kiss more, making the Prince chuckle breathlessly.</p><p>"I like what you did to your hair."</p><p>Jaehyun smiled fondly still caged between the younger's arms, running his ring adorned fingers through Juyeon's neat undercut and twirling around the longer black strands of hair.</p><p>Juyeon hummed unintelligently in response and was about to lean back in to get another kiss, when-</p><p>"There you are!"</p><p>Juyeon let go of the Prince for a second, enough to turn around and see Sangyeon crossing the deck to reach him, but when he turned back around Jaehyun was nowhere to be seen. The only proof that he had really been there were the wet footprints on the wood boards.</p><p>"What were you doing out here? I've been looking everywhere for you! Geez! What happened to you?"</p><p>Sangyeon shook his head exasperatedly and started to comb Juyeon's dishelved hair back in place as he pulled his friend gently along. </p><p>Juyeon looked longingly at the dark sea water glistening under the night sky and city lights, letting Sangyeon lead him back inside.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>JUYEON IS BACK !!!</p><p>(4 years later, but oh well)</p><p>And now Jaehyun disappeared instead, I mean, one for one... par condicio, right?</p><p>This one marks the start of the real plot !!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Unexpected</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Juyeon woke up to a pounding headache and to the annoyingly ringing of the alarm on his bedside table. </p><p>He blindly reached out for his phone from where he was buried, head included, under the sheets. He turned it down with a muffled groan and then dragged himself up and out of bed to get ready for work.</p><p>He hadn't met the COF the previous night, but the man sure needed to re-evaluate his life choices, if he thought that having a party on a Monday during work week was a good idea.</p><p>Juyeon showered, changed and went to work in a haze. The more he thought about his encounter with Jaehyun and the more his headache tried to kill him. With a deep sigh he took the elevator to his floor, convinced that he must have dreamed the whole thing. </p><p>"Good morning, Mr-"</p><p>"Chanhee, I already told you to just call me Juyeon, didn't I?"</p><p>Chanhee rolled his eyes and followed his Chief inside the office with a glass of water taken from the dispenser in the lobby. The blonde wordlessly handed it to Juyeon, pointing to the aspirin on a little plate beside the mousepad of his computer. And Juyeon sighed in relief.</p><p>"Thank you. You're truly a godsend."</p><p>He got rid of his headache that way and the rest of the morning proceeded just fine. Chanhee had brought him coffee and then left him a new folder of financial data to review.</p><p>He was still going through said documents, when his personal assistant sneaked back inside his office, looking troubled. Juyeon glanced at the clock in the corner of his desktop, thinking that maybe it was already time for lunch, but no, it was still way too early for it.</p><p>"Is everything okay?"</p><p>"Uh, I'm sorry to bother you, Mr- Juyeon, but there's someone in the lobby insisting that he knows you. Blonde, curly hair, barefoot... his clothes are a little unusual and I think he went swimming with them on or something. He's getting water everywhere! And I don't know how he got past securit-"</p><p>Juyeon bolted for the door before Chanhee was even done talking. The description had been enough to understand who the blonde was talking about. Now he only had to see it with his own eyes to believe it.</p><p>He rushed out with his personal assistant following him visibly confused.</p><p>And there he was.</p><p>"J-Jaehyun?"</p><p>The blonde Prince was crouching on the floor in front of the big aquarium decorating the waiting room. The colorful fishes inside it seemed to be as interested in him as he was in them, all gathered around his kneeling figure on the other side of the glass. As soon as he heard Juyeon's voice, he stood up immediately and turned around to look at him with a bright smile and Bambi eyes in full display.</p><p>"Juyeon!"</p><p>Jaehyun walked closer, leaving behind wet and sandy footprints, till they were in front of each other.</p><p>"H-how... how are y-"</p><p>"You told me you worked here, remember?"</p><p>Chanhee was still frowning, even if it was clear that Juyeon knew the mysterious blonde. While they stared at one another with heart eyes, he quietly went back to sit behind his desk and called the cleaning service to their floor.</p><p>Juyeon seemed to have forgotten all about his personal assistant and that he still had work to do, Chanhee decided to help him remember by clearing his throat loudly as he typed noisily on his computer. That seemed to successfully wake Juyeon up from his daydream and he quickly showed  Jaehyun to his office.</p><p>Juyeon couldn't leave before he was done with his documents, so he left the Prince to sit on the black leather couch in the corner of the room and went back to his desk to try and get some work done. Key word, <em>try</em>. </p><p>Jaehyun's presence alone was distracting him. The blonde had plastered himself against the floor to ceiling windows looking down at the busy streets of the city in awe.</p><p>Then he had started to aimlessly walk around the office, taking his time to stare and study every little thing that caught his attention.</p><p>"What are you doing?"</p><p>Juyeon jumped on his chair, when Jaehyun's voice spoke right into his ear. He automatically rested a hand over his heart, that was still beating frantically from the fright.</p><p>"I-I'm working."</p><p>He was able to stutter out eloquently. Jaehyun didn't look satisfied with the answer and just sat down right onto Juyeon's lap with a little smile. The younger's hands went automatically to his waist to balance him.</p><p>"What's <em>working?</em>"</p><p>"W-well, you know... as the Chief Financial Officer I have a lot of responsibilities. Right now, I'm evaluating this financial data, that the accounting department sent through today. I need to give my approval, before they can-"</p><p>Juyeon went on explaining as he showed Jaehyun what he was doing on his computer. The blonde just stared at him, obviously not understanding a single thing. He liked listening to Juyeon's voice, but all that numbers talking was boring him to death.</p><p>"-and then you copy this here and the file does it on its own. This is a special form-"</p><p>Jaehyun successfully shut him up with a kiss and, after quickly recovering from his initial shock, Juyeon kissed him back vehemently. </p><p>The Prince fisted his hands in Juyeon's hair, pulling at the longer strands and messing up his perfect hairdo. The younger didn't seem to be bothered, at all, and just let the older tilt his head more to the side to deepen their kiss.<br/>
Jaehyun's tongue pushed past his lips and moved against his own, drawing a needy groan from him. Juyeon's large hands went to the blonde's hips, pulling him impossibly close.</p><p>They were so lost in each other, they didn't notice that someone had just entered the office, unannounced.</p><p>"Oh, crap!"</p><p>Sangyeon gasped in shock and Juyeon alarmed pulled back from the blonde's lips as if burned. His ears flushed red in embarrassment at having been caught making out, instead of working, by his friend and boss.</p><p>Jaehyun was pouting exaggeratingly, just to make his displeasure well visible to Juyeon, as the younger stood up leaving him to sit at his place.</p><p>"Well... I certainly didn't expect that on your second day here."</p><p>Sangyeon said, patting Juyeon's back with a loud chuckle, when his friend came to stand in front of him.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Sangyeon... that was so unprofessional of me. It was unexpected, really... I don't- I'll accept whatever punishment you deem appropriate for my actions, but I just, I can't lose the job."</p><p>Juyeon talked hushedly, looking troubled. His friend, on the other hand, was biting hard on his own bottom lip to not burst out laughing in Juyeon's face.</p><p>"Juyeon, my friend-" Sangyeon started sliding an arm over the other's shoulders "-you don't have to worry about it! I'm not going to fire you, just because you were making out in your own office!"</p><p>The older said reassuringly. He ignored Juyeon looking at him as if he had grown two heads and walked past him and in front of the desk, offering his hand to the blonde.</p><p>"Lee Sangyeon."</p><p>"Jaehyun."</p><p>Jaehyun took the other's hand in his to shake, but Sangyeon had something else in mind. He turned the blonde's hand with the palm facing down and left a kiss on its back.</p><p>"<em>Enchanté.</em>"</p><p>Sangyeon said, flexing probably the only French word he knew, with a wink. Jaehyun blinked once and then twice, raising one eyebrow questioningly at Lee Sangyeon and then looked at Juyeon over the brunette's shoulder for help. He didn't know what it was expected of him this time.</p><p>Humans are so weird, he thought.</p><p>Juyeon rolled his eyes and cleared his throat loudly to get his friend's attention off the Prince and back on himself.</p><p>"Juyeon! What are you still doing here? Go home! Take Jaehyun out, c'mon!"</p><p>"But work-"</p><p>"Oh, live a little! Maybe this is what you need to get back to your usual self, you've become such a bore lately. Take the rest of the day off and have fun!"</p><p>Sangyeon ignored the younger's protests and shooed him out of his office. Juyeon informed his personal assistant that he was going home, because he was feeling unwell (he pointedly ignored Chanhee's raised eyebrow, obviously, the blonde wasn't buying it), and went back to his apartment.</p><p>He expected Jaehyun to start noosing around the quarter as soon as they set foot inside it, like the blonde was used to do in every new place he found himself in, but the Prince seemed to have other plans.</p><p>Juyeon barely had the time to close the door behind their backs, that Jaehyun had him pinned against it in an instant. </p><p>"Y-you can shower if you want and... I'll cook something for us to eat-" he stuttered out breathlessly, but wasn't able to finish what he wanted to say with Jaehyun looking at him like <em>that.</em> Dark eyes under his eyelashes, teeth grazing at his bottom lip enticingly "-or, or... not, alright."</p><p>And he let Jaehyun lead him by the hem of his dress pants to the couch in the living room.</p><p>Somewhere during the day, they had moved to Juyeon's bedroom and they got out only to either eat, drink or to take a shower. Spending the rest of the time rediscovering their bodies that had changed so much in the years they were apart, but were all the same at the same time.</p><p>The next morning Juyeon was laying on his back, blinking lazily up at the ceiling of his bedroom, and, for once, way before his alarm was due to ring.</p><p>"What are you thinking about?"</p><p>Jaehyun stretched his limbs out like a cat beside him and then went back to lay down on top of Juyeon's bare chest. He folded his arms, using one hand as a pillow to rest his chin on and the other to play distractedly with the crystal necklace the younger was wearing.</p><p>Juyeon's hands traveled over the skin of the Prince's spine lightly and then came to rest securely on his lower back.</p><p>"You."</p><p>Jaehyun smiled brightly at him, a smile that could brighten the darkest room and Juyeon felt his heart melt at the sight.<br/>
Then the blonde leaned up to kiss him and, due to their slightly off positions, ended up crushing his lips half on Juyeon's chin and bottom lip.</p><p>Juyeon half chuckled and just hoisted him up by grabbing Jaehyun's ass over the sheets covering him, so they were face to face. The blonde squeaked in surprise, but it came out muffled, when Juyeon kissed him hard, teeth nipping and his upper lip.</p><p>Juyeon's lips brushed across the blonde's jaw, moaning against the skin there as Jaehyun's fingers ventured down his abs and below the v-line.</p><p>Then the alarm of Juyeon's phone interrupted them and with a loud groan he let himself fall back down on the mattress. He took Jaehyun's still wandering hand in his and brought it to his mouth, leaving a kiss on its back.</p><p>"Work calls."</p><p>Juyeon run a bubble bath for the Prince in the bathroom and left him to relax in there, while he calmed his hormones down enough to get dressed to go to the office.</p><p>"I have to go now, I left something to eat for you on the kitchen counter. Both breakfast and lunch. And clean clothes for you on the bed. I'll be back at five in the afternoon. Jaehyun, <em>please</em> don't open the door to anyone. Watch tv to pass time, I don't know, just- what?"</p><p>Jaehyun was smiling innocently at him from where he was sitting in the bath tub full of soap bubbles, beckoning him closer with a finger. Some of the foam was resting on top of his head like a tiny hat. (or crown, more fitting.)</p><p>Juyeon's eyes softened at the sight and with a shake of his head, he bent down to kiss the blonde goodbye on the forehead. Jaehyun seized the opportunity and pulled the younger inside the tub by the long end of his tie.</p><p>Juyeon re-emerged and kneeled inside the bathtub to not crush the blonde under his weight. He sputtered out the soapy water that got inside his mouth with a grimace. He was soaked wet now and needed to dry and change, no matter how quick he could try to be, he was going to be late for work.</p><p>Jaehyun was holding his breath waiting for Juyeon to snap at him, and by the looks of it he was close to.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Juyeonie... I didn't want you to go."</p><p>"You-" Juyeon pressed his lips tightly together, trying to cool himself down enough to not be too harsh on Jaehyun. But all that he wanted to say to him had gone out of the window the moment he looked into the blonde's eyes "-you, little... I’m <em>so</em> going to get you back for this!"</p><p>Juyeon chuckled and splashed Jaehyun with some water. He just couldn't stay mad at Jaehyun for long, even if he tried to.</p><p>The Prince counterattacked mercilessly, getting water everywhere in the bathroom. Juyeon decided that if he wanted to win, he had to play dirty. That's why he tickled Jaehyun's hips where he knew the older was sensitive and smiled big when Jaehyun's loud laugh filled the room.</p><p>"I yield! I yield!"</p><p>Jaehyun panted for breath with teary eyes and Juyeon stopped his attacks. He rested his forehead against the blonde's, looking at him with so much love in those dark orbs, enough to make Jaehyun feel overwhelmed.</p><p>Then the Prince kissed him lazily, like they had all the time in the world and when he whispered a simple "Stay" against his lips looking at him with his bedroom eyes, Juyeon couldn't really say no. He never could to him. The reason why he arrived to work with an hour and a half of delay and had to try and sneak inside his office, while Chanhee was printing some documents and had his back towards him.</p><p>"Good morning, Juyeon!"</p><p>The blonde said without even turning around and Juyeon stopped dead in his tracks. He wanted to bang his head against the nearest wall.</p><p>"Chanhee, hi! I'm really so-"</p><p>"Feeling better?"</p><p>His personal assistant asked calmly, smiling behind his hand at the dishelved state of Juyeon's hair and clothes. The ravenette, feeling self conscious under the other's stare, started to blindly pat his hair back in place, cursing under his breath. He knew he shouldn't have let Jaehyun have that goodbye kiss turned into a hot make out session, but he had asked with a pout and puppy dog eyes and Juyeon just couldn't say no-</p><p>"So? Do you feel better?"</p><p>"Uh?"</p><p>Juyeon asked him dumbly, shifting awkwardly where he stood and Chanhee rolled his eyes with a little chuckle.</p><p>"Didn't you feel unwell yesterday? Remember?"</p><p>"Oh... <em>oh!</em> Yeah! Absolutely! I'm good, great even! Thank you!"</p><p>Chanhee sighed and shook his head, following his chief inside the office with the folder of newly printed papers.</p><p>"Who was the blonde guy from yesterday? I mean, wait... that came out wrong-" Chanhee flushed in embarrassment from where he was standing in the entryway of the room "-I wanted to know if he's going to come to see you often at work, so, I'll know to let him come through without asking for references. I know we are not friends or anything, I don't expect you to tell me about your personal life and-"</p><p>"No. Of course we are friends, Chanhee! That was Jaehyun, we... we used to be together before I left... four years ago."</p><p>"Oh, is he from around here?"</p><p>The blonde asked sitting down in front of Juyeon's desk, on the chair the older was pointing at insistingly.</p><p>"Not really no... he's just stopping by, I think."</p><p>"How long is he going to stay then?"</p><p>"I... I don't really know."</p><p>"Didn't you two talk yesterday after you left early?"</p><p>Juyeon's ears turned red in embarrassment as he tried to hide behind the desktop of his computer mumbling something that sounded a lot like "We didn't talk at all." </p><p>Chanhee eyed the crumbled collar of his dress shirt and he thought that it wasn't hard to believe. He stood up with a sigh, going to help the older adjusting his clothes.</p><p>"Thank you-" Juyeon said in a little voice, surrendering gladly to Chanhee's administrations and the blonde redid  properly the knot of his tie too "-it's just... it's complicated."</p><p>"I still think you guys should talk. I mean, it's obvious that you still <em>care</em> about each other, but you need to know where you stand, both of you."</p><p>Juyeon nodded to Chanhee's words and promised himself to talk with the Prince as soon as possible.</p><p>But life and work kept getting in the way. And when Juyeon tried to start a conversation, it seemed like Jaehyun already knew where he was going with it and he had made it his mission to avoid his questioning with other questions, clipped and vague answers or just distracting him. The latter worked the best, Jaehyun could be very <em>persuasive</em> when he wanted to, and they didn't really talk about it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, Jaehyun came back... why? What is it that he doesn’t want Juyeon to know so badly? What is he hiding?</p><p>But does it really matter? JUJAE IS REUNITED YAY !!!</p><p>And it seems like Sangyeon has a thing for interrupting their moments too lol</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Sweet cloud on a stick</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Changmin and Eric entered Juyeon's apartment that afternoon they knew their friend was going to still be at work. </p><p>But it had been the older to assure them that they could crash at his place whenever they wanted, he gave both of them the passcode to enter after all. Juyeon had a Netflix account and a 92 inch flat screen in his living room, that were <em>begging</em> Eric to use them. (brunette's words.)</p><p>They certainly didn't expect to find a stranger with half dried blonde hair sitting on the carpet in front of the tv in their friend’s living room. The young man was wearing a pair of black joggers and an old surf competition shirt, that Juyeon had competed in years ago. He was gasping loudly at whatever was happening on the screen.</p><p>"He's a liar! Don't listen to him- Aargh! You're so stupid, Christine!"</p><p>The blonde was too absorbed in the movie he was watching that he still hadn't noticed the couple that just entered.</p><p>"Who... are you?"</p><p>Changmin asked tentatively and the blonde turned his head so fast in their direction, Eric was afraid his neck was going to snap. He looked at them with big confused eyes first and then at the closed door at their back with a frown.</p><p>"I didn't open the door for you. Juyeon said to not open the door to anyone, how did you enter?"</p><p>"We are Juyeon's friends, he gave us the passcode. Uhm, I'm Eric and this is Changmin. And you are...?"</p><p>The stranger brighten up once he heard that the two were Juyeon's friends. He needed to make a good impression, so, he quickly stood up from the floor, bowed respectfully and offered one of his ring adorned hands to the two to shake.</p><p>"Lee Jaehyun. It's a pleasure to meet you, Juyeon's friends."</p><p>Eric and Changmin still frowning, shook the delicate hand offered to them and exchanged an equal confused look.</p><p>"Are you... a friend too? I'm sorry, I don't think he ever mentioned you before."</p><p>Changmin asked, eyeing the love bites, visible just over the collar of the white shirt the blonde was wearing, with interest.</p><p>"We were <em>dating</em> before he left, years ago. And we're getting reacquainted now."</p><p>They tried to make small conversation after that, but either Jaehyun was very interested in them, with all the questions he asked, or he was just diverting the ones directed to him that way, because they still didn't know anything about Juyeon's past (current?) boyfriend.</p><p>Eric and Changmin stayed at the apartment and sprawled themselves on the couch to watch whatever Jaehyun was still engrossed into.</p><p>"Run! Run! Run!"</p><p>"Who even goes on a hike in high heels?</p><p>Changmin groaned loudly for the umpteenth time since he had sat down. He had thought that Jaehyun talking to the tv was cute,  in a weird way, but he didn't need Eric to join him too.</p><p>"You know they can't hear you, right?"</p><p>Eric stayed silent after that and, lost interest in the movie, started scrolling down his phone. He elbowed Changmin repeatedly to get his attention, when the brunette shoved the phone in his face, he didn't have any other choice but to look.</p><p>"Can we go? Please?"</p><p>The picture he was showing him was of the beach fair that had started a couple of days ago at the pier, where Eric used to go surfing with his friends. Changmin nodded excitedly, but quickly looked at the curly haired blonde sitting on the floor close to the television screen and back at Eric in question. The brunette patted his friend's shoulder reassuringly.</p><p>"Hey, Jaehyun! Do you want to come to the beach fair with us?"</p><p>"To- where?"</p><p>Changmin tried to explain as best as he could what a fun fair was to a wide eyed Jaehyun, when it became obvious that the blonde really didn't know what they were talking about. Then Eric showed him pictures to make it easier for him to understand.</p><p>Jaehyun was quick to agree, he was ecstatic to spend time with Juyeon's friends in a place with bright colorful lights and happy people, like in the photos Eric had shown him.</p><p>"Are you coming... dressed like that?”</p><p>The blonde had run to the door and was standing in front of it, waiting impatiently for the two to show him the way. He frowned at Eric's question and looked down at his bare feet and then up at the clothes Juyeon's friends were wearing, tilting his head in confusion. </p><p>"But... these are the clothes Juyeon left for me this morning."</p><p>Changmin shook his head and led Jaehyun down the hallway and towards the bedroom, with an arm around his shoulders. He took it on himself to help the blonde change, while Eric raided the fridge.</p><p>Jaehyun didn't have anything to change himself into with him, apart from the clothes he had been wearing when he left Atlantis a couple of days prior. </p><p>Changmin looked at said clothes with a raised eyebrow, Juyeon's boyfriend was really something else. </p><p>"This is how people dress up in- wait, where did you say you come from again?"</p><p>"The island of Atlas. And yes, that's what everyone wears there, more or less."</p><p>"Never heard of it, is it far from here?"</p><p>"It's... closer that one would think."</p><p>Changmin decided that if Jaehyun wasn't giving him any clear answers, then he was going to get them from Juyeon later that night. He had a couple of questions for his friend.</p><p>He opened Juyeon's wardrobe and had fun selecting an outfit for Jaehyun to wear. He waited for the blonde to be done changing and then made him put on two pair of socks too, because Juyeon's shoes were a little too big for his feet.</p><p>"No shoes?"</p><p>"We usually wear sandals... but I find them restricting and uncomfortable if I have to swim."</p><p>A couple? Scratch that, he had <em>a lot</em> of questions for Juyeon.</p><p>Shoes weren't the only thing Jaehyun didn't own. Eric had to pay for his ticket, because the blonde didn't have any money  ("It was your idea to go at the fair and to invite him along! So, <em>you</em> pay!" Changmin had said pointedly) and then, had to be the one messaging Juyeon to let him know that Jaehyun was going with them, because he also didn't have a phone. (The sms he sent him, read "We have your boyfriend, if you want to see him again, buy Eric the new curved gaming monitor he wants! You have until tonight! -E")</p><p>"Why are you laughing maniacally on your own?"</p><p>"Nothing-" Eric put away his phone still grinning to himself and dashed for the front seat of Changmin's car "-I call shotgun!"</p><p>The short drive to the pier was filled with the loud radio music selected by Eric, self proclaimed dj for their trip. The brunette was singing along the lyrics, more like shouting if you asked Changmin, but Jaehyun didn't seem to be bothered by the noise. He was too busy looking out of the window at the moving cars, people and big buildings towering over the streets they were moving on.</p><p>"First of all, Viking Ride!"</p><p>Eric informed the other two as soon as they got out of the car and then proceeded to lead the way through the many people walking around the fair to the big pirate ship swinging back and forth. Changmin decided to hold Jaehyun by the hand to avoid losing him among the crowd, like they had risked doing a couple of times already. The blonde had stopped at every single stand they had walked by to watch curiously at what was happening there.</p><p>"I'm so sorry, Jaehyun! I didn't know you were afraid of heights!"</p><p>Changmin said, leading a very pale looking Jaehyun off the Viking Ride and helped him sit down on a bench, as they waited for Eric to be done with his second ride on the attraction.</p><p>"It's okay... I didn't know either."</p><p>When the brunette caught up with them and Jaehyun was feeling better, now that he had both feet securely on the ground, they went looking for the next ride they could take.</p><p>"Jaehyun!"</p><p>Changmin screeched out, when the blonde let go of his hand to run towards the shooting stand with big and small plushies on the shelves.</p><p>"Don't run away like that, please! Juyeon is going to kill us if we lose you here!"</p><p>Eric reprimanded Jaehyun as soon as he caught up with him, Changmin following close and apologizing to the people they had run into in their haste to follow the blonde.</p><p>"Can I have one of those, please?"</p><p>Jaehyun was pointing at the big teddy bears hanging from the wooden roof in front of him. Eric had to explain how one needed to win the game to get a prize and that they couldn't buy the plushie like in any other shop. </p><p>"I want to try, please, please, please!"</p><p>"I'm not his boyfriend, Juyeon is-" Eric defended himself, when Changmin nodded to Jaehyun, who was still begging the brunette to play "-I still think <em>he</em> should be the one buying him things. Ah, he owes me big time. Here, for one game. If you lose, that's it. I'm not giving you more."</p><p>Eric said sternly as he fished out of his wallet the couple of bills needed to shoot. Reminding Changmin of a mother with her overexcited child.</p><p>Jaehyun had a very good aim, for someone who was playing for the first time, but even with that, the prize he had chosen was out of reach. The points he accumulated were enough for the man behind the desk to give him a keychain with a stuffed roundish blue dolphin hanging from it.</p><p>"Dolphins don't look like this, though."</p><p>"Because this is a cute version of it. I'm sorry that you're disappointed, maybe we'll find another stand with an easier game for you to play?"</p><p>Changmin tried to cheer up the blonde, who was still looking longingly at the big teddy bear he wanted. Before he could've steered him away, Jaehyun was already walking back in front of the stand with determinated steps.</p><p>"Excuse me, kind Plushie Sir-" the man slowly turned around, probably to either laugh in the blonde's face or snarl at him, maybe both. But when his eyes landed on Jaehyun's, the initial annoyed look on his face disappeared completely "-please, can I have on of these? I really want it, <em>please</em>."</p><p>Eric was about to go and collect the blonde, before he could embarrass himself any further, but to his and Changmin's immense surprise, the man sighed and just gave him one of the big teddy bears in display. He even asked Jaehyun to chose the one he wanted.</p><p>Changmin looked at Eric and found the brunette with the same shocked expression he probably was sporting. Jaehyun hugged the plush, as big as him, close to his chest and then showed it to them pointing at the little black tie hanging from its neck.</p><p>"Look, it's Juyeon!"</p><p>Between the two, Changmin was the first one to react, his love for plushies urged him to beg Jaehyun to ask the man for another one.</p><p>"Please, Jaehyun! I don't know how you did it, but, please. Get one for me too, please!" </p><p>Eric was still at loss of words, his mouth opening and closing like a fish as he watched what was happening in front of him incredulously.</p><p>Jaehyun walked up to the stand for the second time and asked the kind Plushie Sir for another teddy bear for Changmin.</p><p>"I'm sorry, you have to win the game to get a prize."</p><p>But the man refused this time and it didn't look like he was going to change his mind any time soon. Changmin sagged his shoulders in defeat and went back to Eric, the blonde trailing after him, his eyes peeking over the big head of the teddy bear to check where he was going.</p><p>"<em>How?</em>"</p><p>"He said no-" Changmin pouted stroking the ear of the plush in Jaehyun's arms longingly "-I mean, of course he would say no. Why would he agree? I really wanted one too, though."</p><p>Jaehyun looked at the sad expression on Changmin's face and then at the teddy bear he was holding with pursued lips, coming to the conclusion that-</p><p>"You can have it."</p><p>He pushed the plush in Changmin's direction, his eyes softening when he saw the dark haired man's incredulous big smile, dimples included.</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>"Really-"  Jaehyun nodded and showed him the fluffy blue ball that was his dolphin keychain "-I still have this one."</p><p>Then, they resumed their search for an attraction they could all ride together. And Jaehyun stayed close to them, holding onto the paw of the teddy bear in Changmin's arms, at least till he didn't see something else that caught his attention.</p><p>"Hi! Do you want a cotton candy cone?"</p><p>The blonde looked up from the pink cloud magically forming inside a big bowl to the young man who had just spoken to him.  </p><p>"Yes! Please!"</p><p>Jaehyun was beaming as he accepted the food thing, he still wasn't sure what it was, from the smiling man with kind eyes and a cute little mole right above his lips.</p><p>"Jaehyun! Don't wander around on your own, please! You don't have a phone, how are we going to find you if you get lost, uh?"</p><p>Eric scolded the blonde as soon as he had reached him, but Jaehyun wasn't listening. He just kept munching happily on his pink cotton candy with a big and bright smile.</p><p>"Where did you get th-"</p><p>"Eric Sohn?"</p><p>The brunette turned to look at the man behind the cotton candy stand with wide eyes, once he had recognized the voice.</p><p>"Haknyeon-" he smiled incredulously and hugged Haknyeon tightly, when he got close to greet him "-long time no see! Where have you been?"</p><p>"Off to culinary school. I graduated last year and I also have my very own catering service now! I'm helping with the family restaurant during the weekends. My cousin says you still eat there often!"</p><p>"Congratulations! Oh and of course! I always told you that it's the best in town and my opinion hasn't changed! Right, Changmin?"</p><p>Changmin shook hands with Haknyeon and listened raptly to the two old friends as they caught up with one another. Then he remembered-</p><p>"Eric, where is Jaehyun?"</p><p>"Jaehyun? The blonde from before?-" Haknyeon asked with a frown "-you know him? He never paid for the cotton candy!"</p><p>Eric groaned loudly as he looked for the money needed to pay his friend back. Again, Juyeon owed him.</p><p>Jaehyun was licking clean his sticky fingers as he watched, with his head tilted in interest, the big rotating wheel, that people seemed to enjoy so much sitting on. He was about to ask Juyeon's friends for an explanation, when he realized that they weren't with him.</p><p>The blonde looked left and right at the different faces that surrounded him and didn't find the familiar ones of Eric and Changmin.</p><p>"Hey, are you lost?"</p><p>Jaehyun turned around and saw a tanned young man slightly shorter than him in height, with plump lips and dark bowl cut hair.</p><p>"Uh... I think so-" the stranger offered to help Jaehyun find his lost friends and took him by a hand to pull him along "-you know, if you wanted to try on my rings... you could've just asked me. I don't mind."</p><p>He said when he started to feel his rings slipping out of his fingers one by one. The mysterious man looked at him wide eyed and visibly embarrassed at having been caught in the act. He quickly apologized and gave them back to Jaehyun with a sigh.</p><p>"I'm sorry, it's just a bad habit I picked. I like shiny things, sue me. But honestly, I'm broke, man."</p><p>"How did it happen?-" Jaehyun asked with a gasp as he scanned the young man from head to toe, looking for an injury "-did it hurt?"</p><p>"Hurt?-" the man frowned "-no, I mean, maybe <em>psychologically.</em> I threw away all the money I had with me to win a stupid shooting game in one of the stands here. Who in their right state of mind would do that, am I right?"</p><p>"Oh... you didn't win anything?"</p><p>"Duh! Could you like, lend me some cash? I'll give it back, I swear-"</p><p>"You're out of luck! He doesn't have any money, Sunwoo!"</p><p>Changmin managed to say between a gasp for air and another, he had been running around the fair like crazy looking for the blonde.</p><p>"We are putting a leash on him! I'm too young to die of a heart attack!"</p><p>Eric said dramatically as he leaned over his own knees trying to catch his breath, Changmin's teddy bear draped over his back.</p><p>"Changmin... Eric. Good to see you."</p><p>"Are you still stealing from poor and innocent people, Sunwoo?"</p><p>"I don't steal, I <em>borrow</em>-" the stranger, Sunwoo, corrected Eric with a roll of his eyes and then proceeded to defend himself "-and besides, he can't be <em>that</em> poor, if he's wearing freaking Louis Vuitton at a beach fair."</p><p>"Those are Juyeon's clothes. Jaehyun is his boyfriend!"</p><p>"Wait, Juyeon is back?"</p><p>Eric was the one suggesting they went somewhere more calm and with less people around. He was tired of Jaehyun disappearing on them and having to run to get the blonde back.</p><p>They walked to the pier restaurant, the one Haknyeon's family had been running since Eric could remember. They chose the booth in the back, where he used to hang out with both Juyeon and Sangyeon, when they were younger.</p><p>As soon as they had sat down, Eric was typing hurriedly on his phone, smiling slyly to himself.</p><p>"Lover boy is done with work and-" Eric started with a wicked smirk as he put away his phone, he was done messaging "-is coming here to kill me, he says."</p><p>"You look too pleased, for someone that is going to be murdered in the next twenty minutes."</p><p>Changmin commented from where he was sitting opposite to the brunette, him and his bear plush occupying the entire bench. The other three had to squeeze themselves close to each other on the other one.</p><p>"Hi guys, can I take your order?"</p><p>"Hi, Minjee."</p><p>Eric waved shyly up at the waitress that came to their table with pen and notepad in hand. </p><p>"Eric, it's good to see you-" Minjee smiled warmly at the brunette, eyes disappearing into two cute crescent moons "-oh! There's someone new with you!"</p><p>"I'm Jaehyun!"</p><p>"Minjee. You're not from around here, are you, Jaehyun?"</p><p>"Not really, no-" the blonde shook his head and then pointed at both Changmin and Eric, with the hand that Sunwoo wasn't holding close to his face to study the different golden rings on his fingers "-but they're showing me around! We went to the beach lair!"</p><p>"Beach <em>fair.</em>"</p><p>Changmin corrected him, but the blonde ignored him and just went on explaining to the friendly looking Minjee all the cool things he had seen at the fair.</p><p>"That sounds like so much fun, but unfortunately, I work and-"</p><p>"You should take a day off then! That's what Juyeon did days ago, anyway-" Jaehyun's eyes fell on the weirdly silent Eric at his right, the brunette's face was as red as the apron Minjee was wearing, and he quickly realized something "-<em>Eric</em> could take you there!"</p><p>Eric looked up with wide eyes open in alarm, ready to assure Minjee that Jaehyun didn't know what he was talking about, but the girl was quick to accept.</p><p>The brunette couldn't believe that after months of pinning after Haknyeon's cousin, all it took him to get a date with her, was for Juyeon's boyfriend to organize it for him.</p><p>"Eric likes the swinging boat the best, but if you're afraid of heights like me, you shouldn't go there or you'll feel sick. Oh, and I recommend you try this sweet pink cloud on a stick they make there. I loved it!"</p><p>"You mean... cotton candy?"</p><p>"Is that what it's called?" </p><p>Minjee and Eric had a date settled for that weekend, they remembered to exchange numbers only after Jaehyun said that they should bring a phone in case they got lost. </p><p>Jaehyun was happily digging into his basket of fried chicken, when Juyeon barged into the restaurant looking dishelved and still in his working suit. He looked left and right anxiously and seemed to calm down only after he had spotted his friends and the Prince with them.</p><p>"Juyeonie!"</p><p>"Hi, baby-" ("I'm not a baby!" "Pet names, remember? I explained to you what they are.") Juyeon smiled softly at the blonde, his eyes hardened when they landed on Eric first and Changmin second "-I'll deal with you two later and- <em>you</em> are...?"</p><p>Sunwoo, who had been silently sharing Jaehyun's food and drink (because the blonde had insisted) till then, looked up at Juyeon with a little sigh. </p><p>"Leaving-" he said getting up and waving at everyone at the table "-see you around, guys. It was good meeting you, Jaehyun!"</p><p>And after informing Minjee over the counter that he was going to bother Haknyeon at the fair, he left.</p><p>"<em>Haknyeon?</em>"</p><p>"Yeah, he graduated from culinary school and he's working at the restaurant food stand at the fair tonight-"</p><p>Eric was the one explaining Juyeon what he missed. The ravenette left a kiss on Jaehyun's forehead as he sat down close to him. </p><p>"That was Sunwoo? The Sunwoo that followed Haknyeon everywhere? <em>That</em> Sunwoo?-" after Eric had nodded, Juyeon looked surprised "-he grew up quite a lot, I didn't recognize him."</p><p>Then Jaehyun described as best as he could all that he had done and seen, while he was at the beach la- <em>fair,</em> giving him the dolphin keychain as a gift and Juyeon happily accepted it.</p><p>It was Changmin's and Eric's turn next, they both explained to Juyeon how his boyfriend had gotten one a free teddy bear and a date to the other. And with the promise to answer all their questions about Jaehyun another time, he agreed to let the two stay with the blonde while he was at work. </p><p>Juyeon thought that despite their differences, Jaehyun fitted well in his little circle of friends.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>So, jujae boyfriends? ME THINK YES</p><p>In this chapter Sunwoo said /I’m the stealer YAH/ (he tried), him and Haknyeon joined the party too !!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Revelations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After days of debating with himself, all it took for Juyeon to finally cave in, was for Jaehyun to state the obvious to him.</p><p>"I didn't know you then, but I trusted you anyway. We are talking about your friends though, who better than you can judge how trustworthy they are?"</p><p>If the blonde stayed with him, keeping the truth from Changmin and Eric was going to be difficult. </p><p>The two were constantly trying to worm out any kind of clue about Jaehyun, either from Juyeon or the Prince himself, when they spent the afternoon <em>babysitting</em> him while the ravenette was at work. It was hard for them to understand how Juyeon had met him four years ago and-</p><p>"I can't believe that my bestest best friend in the whole world kept it from me like that! You wound me, Lee Juyeon!"</p><p>Eric could be a little dramatic sometimes.</p><p>So, Juyeon came to the conclusion that he was going to trust both of them with his secret and hopefully make things easier for all of them.</p><p>The right time to talk about it came during the weekend, with no school or work in the way, Eric and Juyeon decided to dust off their surfing skills at the beach.</p><p>"Sangyeon?"</p><p>"He couldn't come. He is organizing a pool party at his house for tonight, remember?"</p><p>Eric groaned loudly as he unfastened the leash of his surfboard from his ankle and sat down next to Juyeon on the sand.</p><p>"Out of all the weekends he could choose from, why this one? Agh! I won't make it, I'm taking Minjee to the fair tonight." </p><p>"I'm sure this is not the last party he'll organize. Speaking of the fair, I still haven't paid you back for-"</p><p>"Don't mention it. You don't owe me anything, I was just joking. I like Jaehyun, he's fun and makes you happy-" The brunette waved his hand disinterestedly "-and he also got me a date!"</p><p>Juyeon half chuckled at that and looked ahead with a soft little smile to where Changmin had taken Jaehyun in front of the ice cream truck. The blonde seemed to still be undecided, eyes pointed to the menu board hanging from the roof, while the brunette beside him ate hurriedly his melting ice cream cone.</p><p>"There's a new surfing competition in a week. I think that we're still in time to enroll, if you want. Sangyeon is going, we should too."</p><p>"I don't know... this is the first time I surf in four years, I'm not good enough to compete. You saw it too."</p><p>"No, what I <em>did</em> saw, was you surfing better than you ever did before. Must be because you're trying to show off to your mysterious boyfriend or something-" Eric said nodding pointedly in the direction of said blonde and ignoring Juyeon's "I'll think about it" all together "-speaking of which, I still don't understand where did you meet him or why didn't you tell us... <em>me</em>, of all people. Is it because you were afraid I would've judged you? I mean, Jaehyun <em>is</em> a little weird, but it is endearing more than anything-"</p><p>"I'm not ashamed of Jaehyun, I could never-" Juyeon was shaking his head no, before Eric was even done talking "-it's not that I didn't want to tell you, but I just couldn't. It's different."</p><p>"But <em>why?</em> I don't understand-"</p><p>Then Changmin flopped down in front of them handing the brunette the chocolate milkshake he had requested and successfully stopping his whining.</p><p>"Jaehyun did it again. The ice cream man gave him a second one for free."</p><p>The blonde in question sat down graciously close to Juyeon and gave him one of the bowls of ice cream he had in hand.</p><p>"I think... it's time that you know the truth. But you have to promise not to tell anyone first, do I have your word?"</p><p>Both Eric and Changmin shared the same confused look, but were quick to agree either way. They had never seen their friend look that serious before.</p><p>And after Jaehyun squeezed his hand and gave him a little encouragingly smile, Juyeon explained everything. From how they had met at the cove to his first time in Atlantis. </p><p>"I'm sorry, but-" Eric was the first one to burst out into an incredulous laugh and Changmin followed him "-do you hear the absurdity of it all?"</p><p>"You can't possibly think that we are going to buy this <em>fable!</em>"</p><p>Juyeon sighed in resignation, he had expected that kind of reaction after all, but he had come prepared. He quickly retrieved his phone out of his duffle bag and showed his friends the pictures he had taken every time he went to visit Jaehyun.</p><p>"You don't even know what photoshop is and you can't make up a place like <em>that</em>-" Changmin reasoned, while studying the photos from every angle "- I mean, it doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before."</p><p>"I thought that Atlantis was submerged and its people had evolved into half fishes or something, in order to live underwater!"</p><p>"Do I look like a fish to you?"</p><p>Jaehyun squinted his eyes at Eric's words and looked at the brunette like he was about to throw hands at him, if he as much as dared to say yes. Juyeon was quick to calm the Prince down by hugging him close by the waist (Jaehyun <em>loved</em> public displays of affection) and stroking the soft skin of his lower back.</p><p>"That's just common belief on Land, baby. A legend says that Atlanteans descend directly from mermaids, though."</p><p>"But it <em>is</em> just a legend."</p><p>Changmin was the one who had the most specific questions for Jaehyun, he was interested in... basically everything. From food and clothes to jobs and traditions.</p><p>"Do you know Aquaman?"</p><p>And then, there was Eric.</p><p>After a detailed description of the brunette about who Arthur Curry was, it was Jaehyun’s turn to burst out into a loud laugh. ("A man like that doesn't exist!")</p><p>Even with the explanation done and the undeniable proofs in front of them, the two were still a little hesitant in believing their friend.</p><p>"Can you bring us there too?"</p><p>Juyeon was the one who answered Changmin's question this time, showing to both him and Eric the crystal necklace that he never separated from.</p><p>"The only way to cross the passage is to have one of these to allow you to breathe underwater. Or to be royal blooded like Jaehyun."</p><p>"Now that's just too much even for me. Breathe underwater? I'll believe you, if you can prove it to me."</p><p>Eric shook his head with both arms crossed over his wetsuit cladded chest, nodding towards the crystal hanging from Juyeon's neck. The ravenette looked at the Prince first for permission and then wordlessly handed the necklace to his friend. </p><p>"What if it doesn't work and you drown?"</p><p>Changmin snorted, while Eric put the crystal over his head and stood up with a determined look.</p><p>"Then, I'll die. But having my point proven."</p><p>Juyeon paddled himself and Jaehyun on his surfboard offshore, with Eric and Changmin following close. At a distance deemed acceptable by Eric, the brunette let himself fall sideways into the water. He stayed under for awhile and before any of them could check if he was okay, he had already resurfaced looking absolutely hysterical. The crystal around his neck glowing a light blue.</p><p>"Changmin, you have to try this!"</p><p>After that, for both Changmin and Eric there was no reason left not to believe Juyeon. And now that they knew the truth, everything made so much more sense.</p><p>They stayed at the beach till late in the afternoon with Juyeon teaching Jaehyun how to surf, after the blonde had basically demanded him to do so. Then they left with Changmin to get ready for Sangyeon's pool party and Eric for his date with Minjee.</p><p>"Five more minutes, please."</p><p>Jaehyun was quick to straddle Juyeon, when the younger tried to get up from the bed for the second time. He battled his eyelashes exaggeratedly and pouted big at him, making Juyeon huff loudly in amusement.</p><p>"We still need to shower... There's going to be people from work at the party, I can't be late."</p><p>Juyeon tried to weakly argue, resting his hands on either side of Jaehyun's thin waist to balance him, when the blonde leaned down to kiss his neck. The Prince felt Juyeon's Adam's apple bob under his lips as he trailed them down his body, making him smile slyly between a kiss and another. He knew that Juyeon wasn't going to refuse him.</p><p>"Fine. Five minutes."</p><p>"Make it ten."</p><p>It took Juyeon <em>more</em> than ten minutes and a lot of resolution to get up from bed and get ready. Truth was, that business party or not, big crowds weren't really his thing and he didn't want anything more than to stay at home cuddling with Jaehyun. The thought of having to hear Sangyeon talking his ear off for ditching him the next day, dissuaded him from it.</p><p>One dangerous make out session under the spray of water later, Juyeon left the Prince to shower on his own. He listened to him singing as he selected what to wear for the both of them, waiting for his turn in the bathroom. If they had showered together like the blonde wanted to, Juyeon knew that they wouldn't have left the apartment anytime soon.</p><p>After they had picked Changmin up, he drove the three of them to Sangyeon's penthouse. His new place was a big and spacious apartment on the last floor of one of the buildings nearest to the beach. Luxurious inside and with a large private pool overlooking the sea outside.</p><p>As soon as they set foot inside the quarter, Juyeon was quick to take Jaehyun's hand in his before the blonde could wander around and get lost among Sangyeon's numerous guests.</p><p>"Remember what I said before we left? You stay close to me and Changmin, alright?"</p><p>Jaehyun nodded eagerly as he looked in awe at his surroundings, he was particularly attracted by the bright lights and loud music coming from the counter of the open bar in a corner of the roof garden.</p><p>The party was already in full swing, some people were having fun in the pool and others were either drinking or chatting animatedly beside it. Most of them were unfamiliar faces, probably old school friends of Sangyeon, but Juyeon had recognized a couple of his new colleagues among them too. Chanhee included.</p><p>The blonde nodded in recognition, he quickly excused himself from the circle of people he had been talking to and walked towards his chief and friend to greet him.</p><p>"Mr. L-" one murderous look from the ravenette and Chanhee was quick to correct himself "-Juyeon! I'm sorry, force of habit."</p><p>"It's okay, don't worry. Chanhee, this is my friend Changmin-" Juyeon pointed to the slightly shorter brunette beside him, introducing the two "-and you already met Jaehyun."</p><p>Chanhee shook the hand Changmin offered him, smiling politely. Then he eyed curiously the clothes (and shoes!) Jaehyun was wearing now, before he could comment on it, Sangyeon had appeared from the crowd. He handed Chanhee a pink cocktail with a "Here's the drink you wanted" but judging from the blonde's displeased frown it clearly wasn't.</p><p>"Juyeon! You came! Changmin, you are here too! It's so good to see you, my friends!-" Sangyeon exclaimed, putting himself between the two and hugging them both with an arm each around their shoulders "-I see, you brought Jaehyun. Always a pleasure."</p><p>As soon as his eyes had landed on the blonde Prince, Sangyeon put his undivided attention on him, kissing the back of his hand just like when they had first met. This time Jaehyun just chuckled in amusement and Juyeon rolled his eyes at his friend's antics.</p><p>"Mi casa es su casa! C'mon, I'll give you something to drink."</p><p>He exclaimed as he sneaked an arm around Jaehyun's waist, snatching him away from his boyfriend. He walked the blonde int the direction of the bar and Juyeon didn't have any other choice but to follow.</p><p>When he caught up with the two, Jaehyun was taking a tentative sip from a plastic red cup, he grimaced and just spat whatever he had drunk right back inside it. Juyeon half chuckled and took the cup from his hands resting it on the table behind their backs.</p><p>"Ah! Beer is not your thing, right?-" Sangyeon ignored the blonde, who still had his tongue sticking out in disgust, and jumped over the bar counter, starting to fumble behind it "-I know a man of taste, when I see one. Worry not, pretty Jaehyun. If there's anything I learnt from my vacation in Puerto Rico is how to prepare an amazing Piña Colada!"</p><p>"Sangyeon... I don't think that's a good idea. Jaehyun doesn't drink-"</p><p>"Hush, I know what I'm doing!"</p><p>Sangyeon handed the big cocktail glass filled to the brim to Jaehyun, waiting expectantly for him to rate it. The blonde tried to be careful when bringing the drink to his mouth, but he ended up spilling some on the floor anyway. He sniffed warily at the creamy yellow liquid inside and then took a generous sip from it.</p><p>"So? What's the verdict?"</p><p>"There's pineapple! I like pineapple!"</p><p>"Told you!"</p><p>Juyeon shook his head and pried the glass from Jaehyun's hands, when he started to gulp it down like it was fresh water. The blonde letting him, but frowning cutely in confusion.</p><p>"You're going to get sick later, if you don't slow down."</p><p>Sangyeon left the full pitcher he had prepared of the drink on the counter and then decided to present Juyeon to more people from their company who were at the party. He barely got the time to make sure that Changmin was going to keep an eye on Jaehyun, before he was dragged away by his friend.</p><p>He met quite a lot of people from the accounting department and all of them complimented Juyeon for his hard work and precision in respecting the deadlines on his first week on the job.</p><p>"Oh, and this is Mr. Jung. He is the Chief of Staff in our company."</p><p>The CEO said then, introducing his friend to the other and then excusing himself to go and talk to other guests. Mr. Jung was a dark haired and clean shaved mature man, that stood out in his white suit among the informal clothed people at the party.

Juyeon was quick to shake firmly the hand offered to him.</p><p>"I believe we have never met before, Lee Juyeon. It's a pleasure to finally be able to."</p><p>"Likewise, Sir."</p><p>"I heard a lot about you."</p><p>"You did?"</p><p>Juyeon cleared his throat awkwardly as the man sipped from his glass of red wine slowly, looking like he was scrutinizing him over its rim.</p><p>"I've been working for the Lee Enterprises for twenty years, give or take. And I'm pretty sure that I've never heard of someone coming so highly recommended by the CEO himself for as much."</p><p>"Ah, Sangyeon likes to exaggerate, I just do what I'm told to and that's it, I'm really nothing special."</p><p>"I wouldn't be so sure about it-" Mr. Jung said pointing with the hand holding the wine in the general direction of Juyeon's chest "-that's one interesting looking necklace, you got there. How did you put your hands on it?"</p><p>"It was a present... from a friend."</p><p>"Do you mind if I get a closer look at it? I'm a fan of antiquities."</p><p>"I don't think-"</p><p>Before Juyeon could, as politely as he could, decline the man's request, Changmin's high pitched scream interrupted him.</p><p>"Juyeon! We have a problem, Jaehyun is drinking a little too much and I don't know how to stop him. Before you say anything, he's not alone. I left him with Chanhee."</p><p>"I'm sorry, my boyfriend needs me... if you'll excuse me. It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Jung. You have a nice boat."</p><p>And with that said, he followed Changmin back to the bar, where, true to the brunette's word, Jaehyun was in the middle of pouring himself the last drops of the pitcher of Piña Colada Sangyeon had prepared him.</p><p>One of the men from the accounting department (that he had met earlier but had already forgotten the name of) was talking to Jaehyun too close for comfort. He had one hand resting on the back of the bar stool the blonde was sitting on, and with the other he was stroking Jaehyun’s arm.</p><p>The Prince didn't seem to be listening to the other, he was more interested in his newly full cocktail glass. Juyeon was quick to take it away before he could drink from it, making the blonde pout.</p><p>"<em>Baby</em>, you drank enough."</p><p>His colleague excused himself as soon as he saw Juyeon appear and Jaehyun nuzzling his face against his shoulder like a cat. And the ravenette was glad the message had been received.</p><p>"I thought you said that you left him with Chanhee?"</p><p>Changmin was at loss of words, looking left and right for the tall personal assistant. As if summoned, Chanhee appeared from behind the counter with a bottle of rum in hand, mumbling under his breath about how if someone wants something done well, they should just do it themselves. Drinks included.</p><p>"Juyeonie... it's like my head is full of sea foam-" Jaehyun whined pitifully, blinking lazily up at Juyeon "-why are you spinning?"</p><p>"You're going to have one hell of a hangover tomorrow."</p><p>Juyeon chuckled and patted the blonde's head sympathetically.</p><p>Needless to say, he was right. </p><p>The next morning, Juyeon woke up to get ready to go to work, while Jaehyun desperately begged him not to leave him from where he was buried under the sheets. The younger sighed as he sat down on the mattress next to him, running his fingers through his dishelved blonde hair.</p><p>"You're not dying, I promise. It's just going to take awhile before the aspirin takes effect-" he cooed at Jaehyun's big and pleading Bambi eyes "-Eric doesn't have any lessons today, so he is coming over later in the morning to check up on you, okay? Try to sleep some more in the meantime."</p><p>"No, please stay..."</p><p>Jaehyun mumbled with his eyes already half closed, falling asleep quickly under the younger's soft caresses. Juyeon shook his head with a little smile, kissed Jaehyun’s nose, where one of his cute little moles was, and then left the apartment to go to the office.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I’ll try to update the rest of the chapters once a week (can’t make any promises tho, because I still need to review them or better, try to, my English is not <em>that</em> good lol) I’ll do my best.</p><p>Also, you probably noticed that the chapters went from 10 to 11, it’s because I had to split the last one into two parts or it would’ve been too long.</p><p>(Warning for next chapters: incoming dramas)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Deadline</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As soon as he was done with work, Juyeon left the company building with Chanhee, to join his friends and Jaehyun at the pier restaurant for dinner.</p><p>Once there he greeted both Eric and Changmin, then he kissed the Prince on the forehead and sat down on the bench booth in front of him.</p><p>"Are you okay now?"</p><p>"Yes! Eric said he knew how to make me feel better. He gave me orange juice and... bread."</p><p>"...bread?"</p><p>Juyeon frowned stealing the blonde's glass of lemonade to take a sip from it himself. Then Eric intervened helpfully with "Toast" at the same time that Jaehyun said "<em>Crunchy</em> bread."</p><p>"Thank you for taking care of him, Eric."</p><p>"It was nothing, really. He slept like a baby most of the time anyway."</p><p>The brunette waved his hand dismissively at his friend and just pushed the basket of fries, they were all sharing, towards him and Chanhee.</p><p>Then Minjee arrived with the food they had ordered and Jaehyun happily dug in the fried chicken burger that Changmin had chosen for him. She greeted Eric with a bright smile and then went off to attend other customers.</p><p>"How did your date with her go?"</p><p>Juyeon asked as he leaned over the table to hand Jaehyun more wipes to help him clean up the mess he was creating with the sauce. </p><p>"Good. We're going bowling on Saturday if you guys want to come."</p><p>"I'd like t-"</p><p>But before Juyeon could agree to tag along, Chanhee decided to remind him about the fund-riser Mr. Jung organized for that night.</p><p>"Can't I just... not go? I mean, he's not even going to notice my absence, I'm sure."</p><p>"I beg to differ, you're basically Sangyeon's right hand man at the company. Believe me, Mr. Jung <em>will</em> notice if you're not there and it's not going to look pretty in the eyes of the others who will too."</p><p>"Alright, alright. But what is he raising funds for anyway?"</p><p>"A research project that he is going to present the same evening. Something future-oriented, I don't know anything else."</p><p>"I guess we'll find out."</p><p>Then he tuned out Changmin's whining about how he didn't want to third wheel on Eric's date and smiled fondly as he listened to Jaehyun humming a familiar tune under his breath instead.</p><p>"You sing it in the shower often. Where did you hear it?"</p><p>Jaehyun just smiled innocently up at him, going back to eat his food. Then one minute he was there looking outside the window and the other he had slid under the table with a screech.</p><p>"Is he okay?"</p><p>Chanhee asked with a frown, abandoning his hamburger to peek under the booth table to check on the blonde, mirrored by both Eric and Changmin.</p><p>Juyeon looked confusedly up from where Jaehyun was hiding to the two weirdly clothed, but familiar looking, men standing in front of the window. It seemed like they were looking for someone among the people coming and going from the pier.</p><p>Jaehyun pulled at Juyeon's pant leg insistingly, wordlessly demanding for him to go under the table too and Juyeon went with a resigned sigh.</p><p>"You told me your father was okay with you being here!"</p><p>"Well, I mean... I just said that he knows that I am with you-" Jaehyun hissed back, making the ravenette grit his teeth in annoyance "-not that he was okay with it!"</p><p>"You are so-"</p><p>Before Juyeon could give the blonde a piece of his mind, Changmin's head had appeared under the table at their eye level.</p><p>"Ehm, I hate to interrupt, but the two, you are hiding from, are... right here."</p><p>Juyeon looked from the Prince's pleadingly eyes to the two pairs of Spartan sandals cladded feet in front of their table, and with an even more resigned sigh he went back to sit on the bench beside Chanhee.</p><p>His personal assistant was the only one who didn't look completely unfazed by the way the couple of strangers was dressed.</p><p>The taller of the two was wearing a partial golden armor and a short cobalt blue cape hanging from his shoulders, a big sword strapped to his back. He had dark brown hair parted neatly on his forehead and pink lips fixated into a scowl.</p><p>The shorter one at his side had midnight black hair, the longer strands framing perfectly his smiling face. His clothes were turquoise and regal looking with all their golden embroidery. They remembered Chanhee of the ones Jaehyun had been wearing the day they first met.</p><p>"Hi, Juyeon and friends! Good to see you!"</p><p>The smile of the dark haired man brighten even more, if possible, at the sight of Juyeon resurfacing from under the table and waved at him energetically.</p><p>"You too, Kevin-" Juyeon returned the smile, albeit less enthusiastically, and then nodded at Kevin's armored companion "-Younghoon."</p><p>"<em>Juyeon-</em>" Younghoon nodded back at him, his greeting lacking Kevin's cheer and politeness. The brunette moved his gaze from Juyeon to each person sitting at their table, his eyes lingering a little longer on Chanhee, till he didn't spot Jaehyun's blonde head peeking behind the edge of the table "-your Highness, this behavior is just unacceptable. You can't run away from your responsibilities because of an-"</p><p>Before Younghoon could complete his sentence, or Jaehyun could bolt and physically shut his mouth (like he had been ready to do), a man from another table walked up to them with his phone in hand.</p><p>"Wow! Great cosplays, guys! The sword looks so real-" he complimented Younghoon, running a corner of the cape between his fingers to identify the material "-who are you dressed up as?"</p><p>"I'm Captain Kim Younghoon. And I suggest you keep your dirty hands off me, <em>human.</em> Or I will polish the blade of my sword with your blood."</p><p>Juyeon was quick to climb over a wide eyed Chanhee and went to stand between the man and Younghoon, before the latter could draw his sword for real.</p><p>"You're so in character! I've never heard of him before, is he from a new video game or something? Can we take a picture together?"</p><p>"I'm sorry, but we don't have time for photos. In fact, we were just leaving!"</p><p>Juyeon smiled apologetically and nodded at Jaehyun for him to follow as he pushed both Kevin and Younghoon towards the door. The blonde crawled over Eric's feet under the table and run after Juyeon without a word.</p><p>"What the hell just happened?"</p><p>Chanhee asked as he looked at the quartet<br/>
leaving the restaurant in a haste. Changmin and Eric shrugging in response, as clueless and shocked as him.</p><p>Juyeon didn't have any other choice, but to take both Kevin and Younghoon back to his apartment. During the drive there, the Captain kept on giving death stares at everything, Juyeon included. </p><p>Kevin, on the other hand, was very talkative, pointing at and asking about different things he saw outside the window.</p><p>"Your Highness, this is no behavior suited for a Prince. As such, you have duties to the Kingdom and it's about time you take them seriously."</p><p>"You can't run away just because you don't want to-"</p><p>Jaehyun, who had been listening quietly as Kevin lectured him, assaulted Younghoon in alarm, putting a hand over his mouth to prevent him from speaking more.</p><p>"He doesn't know!-" Jaehyun hissed through gritted teeth and the tall man's frown deepened, clearly disappointed. "-I want to be the one telling him, please."</p><p>"You've been away for a week, by now you should have talked to him already. As your personal Advisor, I strongly advise you to-"</p><p>"Your duty has been fulfilled, Kevin. Personal Advisor advised and I decided not to listen. You can go back now."</p><p>Jaehyun shooed him away with a ring adorned hand, as if the dark haired Advisor was going to disappear from the living room right at that instant. Juyeon was looking from one man to the other in utter disbelief, just-</p><p>"What the hell is happening here?"</p><p>"You want to be the one telling him? Fine, tell him now. Or <em>I</em> will."</p><p>Kevin warned the blonde and then decided to move his attention elsewhere, like the shelves of books and DVDs beside the television, while Younghoon walked aimlessly around the space with his arms crossed.</p><p>Jaehyun shook his head and then just pulled Juyeon gently towards the bedroom. Once inside, he closed the door behind their backs impossibly slow, like he was trying to delay their talk as much as he could.</p><p>"Can you kindly tell me why your cousin and Younghoon are here now?"</p><p>The Prince was chewing on his bottom lip nervously, eyes fixated on the floor and for a second, Juyeon thought that maybe he had to worry about him. But then Jaehyun had his lips on his own, kissing urgently, and his hands hurrying to unbuckle the belt of Juyeon's pants.</p><p>"Wait, wait, wait. Slow down-"</p><p>Juyeon managed to say breathlessly between a kiss and another, stopping Jaehyun's wandering fingers by locking both of his wrists in one of his big hands.</p><p>"What is it? You don't want me anymore?"</p><p>"You know that's not it."</p><p>The younger sighed and took a couple of steps backwards to put a little more distance between one another, he couldn't think clearly with Jaehyun so close. He cleared his throat and tried to adjust his pants as inconspicuously as he could.</p><p>"I know what you're trying to do. That's what you've been doing since you came to stay here with me. It works way too well... but we need to talk now. So, <em>please,</em> talk to me."</p><p>Jaehyun sighed in resignation and sat on the edge of the mattress, stubbornly avoiding Juyeon's inquisitive gaze at any cost, when the younger sat down next to him.</p><p>"Younghoon has been promoted as Captain and he is my personal guard at the Palace, while General Kim trains the new recruits. Kevin is just preparing himself to fill in as the Royal Advisor one day, in lieu of his father. Till then he advises me... he is from the Royal Family, my Father would've never left him come on his own without protection. That's why Younghoon is with him."</p><p>"Alright... makes sense. But I don't understand why he sent them here in the first place."</p><p>"Maybe he thinks that I'll actually listen to my cousin for once-" Jaehyun half chuckled, unhumorously "-do you remember Areum?"</p><p>"Of course, I remember her. How could I not? She's one of your sisters, I remember all of them. But what does it have to do with you?"</p><p>"Then, do you remember that she is one year older than me?"</p><p>Jaehyun was looking back at him expectantly now, making Juyeon frown in confusion. He just didn't understand where the blonde was trying to go with it. His silent answer made Jaehyun sigh in defeat, but he decided not to give up and to try again. He needed to be patient, Juyeon could be slow sometimes.</p><p>"She got married last year."</p><p>"...congratulations? Is it because I missed her wedding?"</p><p>"Before hers, you missed Eunkyung's one. And Yunhee's. And Myungok's. But that's beside the point. I'll be twenty three this autumn. Do you know what that means?"</p><p>"I... I don't?"</p><p>"Didn't you listen to mentor Daeshim when we attended his lessons together? I'll be of age!-" he rolled his eyes exasperatedly, when he saw the lost expression Juyeon was still sporting and decided to clarify "-To get married!"</p><p>"Oh... <em>oh.</em>"</p><p>"Yeah, <em>oh.</em> After you didn't come back, I refused every other suitor who asked to court me. But I was running out of time and Father decided to take the choice away from me. He arranged a marriage for me."</p><p>"With who?"</p><p>"Does it really matter? I met the guy maybe once, when I was three years old and I bit his hand because he stole my toys-" Jaehyun stood up abruptly and started to walk back and forth in front of Juyeon "-how can I marry someone I don't know? Someone I don't love?"</p><p>Juyeon came to stand in front of the blonde, successfully blocking his way. He didn't want Jaehyun to dig a groove in the floor with all that angry pacing. The blonde rested his forehead against his chest with a shaky sigh.</p><p>"You know... I was still hoping you'd come back. And when you did, I just, I had to see you. I promised myself that if I was the only one still feeling this way, I would've gone back to Atlantis and never bothered you again. But then you basically said that-"</p><p>"You're the only one for me."</p><p>"Yeah... that's why I left."</p><p>"You left?-" Juyeon asked with a frown as he rested both hands on Jaehyun's shoulders, obliging the blonde to raise his head and look up at him "-Like that? How is it going to solve anything?"</p><p>"I panicked, okay? I didn't know what else to do! And besides, I left a letter."</p><p>"Oh, sorry. I didn't know you left a letter. That makes everything so much better then-" Juyeon shook his head, chuckling amusedly as he took Jaehyun's smaller hands in his "-Running away it's not the solution, Jaehyun. Your father adores you, I'm sure that if you'd talk to him, he would listen."</p><p>"Don't you think that I already tried? He just doesn't want to listen! I don't want to get married to Prince Kim Minjun of... of whichever Sea he is from-"</p><p>"Aegean, if I remember correctly."</p><p>"Whatever, Juyeon. <em>Whatever.</em> I told him that I want to marry someone I love. That I already made my choice six years ago, when I first met you. But then you left and never came back and I just, it hurt... and I thought you forgot-"</p><p>"Never. I could never. It has always been you, Jaehyun. Only you."</p><p>Juyeon quickly reassured the blonde, framing tenderly his face between his large hands. Jaehyun smiled fondly and teary eyed as he leaned in for a kiss. The ravenette this time didn't stop him and just kissed him back vehemently, pulling him gently along by the waist as he walked backwards towards the bed.</p><p>Juyeon let both Kevin and Younghoon stay in the guest room of his apartment for the night. He didn't get to talk to the two again, because when they got up, he had already left to go to work.</p><p>"Did you talk to him?"</p><p>Kevin asked impatiently at a still sleepy Jaehyun, who had just woken up. He hid a big yawn with the back of his hand as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.</p><p>"Yeah... I did."</p><p>"So? When are the two of you going to get married then?"</p><p>Younghoon snorted from behind the bowl of milk and rainbow cereals that he had been served for breakfast by the blonde. He looked at the soaked colorful rings falling unappealingly back inside the bowl from his overturned spoon with a flop and decided that he wasn't going to eat human food. Never.</p><p>"We didn't talk about... that."</p><p>"Then you didn't talk to him at all! Why didn't you?"</p><p>"I don't know. It's just that, when we talked about getting married we were young and we just, we didn't know what a marriage truly implies. Juyeon has a life here on Land, a family, friends... a job. I don't know if he would be willing to leave it all behind for... me."</p><p>Later that morning, Kevin left to go back to Atlantis, accompanied by Younghoon (the latter was a little reluctant about leaving Jaehyun on Land without protection, but after the Prince had assured him that he was going to be okay because he had Juyeon with him... he just rolled his eyes and didn't insist further), but not without giving Jaehyun an ultimatum.</p><p>"You better talk with Juyeon. <em>Really</em> talk to him. I can give you two days to come back with an answer. Then His Majesty is going to take matters into his own hands and I won't be able to do anything else for you."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ah! So we finally met Kevin and Younghoon and now we also know the reason why Jaehyun run away from home.</p><p>I warned you for incoming dramas, didn’t I? They are on their way, no need to worry eheheh</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Cowardice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In all fairness, Jaehyun <em>did</em> try to talk with Juyeon again about the wedding matter, but it seemed to just never be the right time to. The Prince didn't know if he should be more upset, because the time Kevin gave him was almost over, or relieved. He was afraid to know what Juyeon's answer would be.</p><p>"Juyeonie... I- I need to talk to you. <em>Urgently.</em>"</p><p>Juyeon looked up at the blonde, from where he had been kneeling down to put on his dress shoes, with a raised eyebrow. When he saw how nervous Jaehyun was, he quickly stood up with his arms open and the blonde accepted the hug gladly.</p><p>"Did you remove the batteries from the remote control by accident again?-" Jaehyun shook his head and just buried himself more into his suit jacket, making Juyeon chuckle "-whatever it is, it's fine. You don't have to worry, alright? But I really need to leave for work now. We can talk calmly later, when I'll be back."</p><p>He reassured, rubbing gently Jaehyun's back up and down and left a kiss on top of his head, before he exited the apartment.</p><p>It was an important matter, they needed to discuss it without rushing anything. So, talking when Juyeon didn't have to worry about work, was for the better, he reasoned.</p><p>But Juyeon came back later than usual, he had had to stay at the office to solve a problem that had occurred with- whatever, Jaehyun wasn't even going to pretend that he understood what the younger was talking about.</p><p>After dinner and a shower, they were both in bed with Juyeon facing the blonde, chin propped in the palm of his hand. Giving Jaehyun his undivided attention (as the Prince liked) for the conversation they had to have.</p><p>"We already talked about the marriage my Father arranged for me and that we both still feel the same towards each other, which I'm glad. Very glad... but I don't know if we really are on the same wavelength here."</p><p>"Uh?"</p><p>"Traditions are traditions, and they must be honored. If I'm not going to marry Prince Kim Minjun, I'll still have to be married to someone else by the end of the year."</p><p>"...uh."</p><p>"What I'm trying to say is- are you even listening to me?"</p><p>Jaehyun looked back up at the ravenette for the first time since he had started to talk (because he knew that he wouldn't have been able to speak at all if he were to maintain eye contact) and found Juyeon half asleep in the same exact position he was before, with his cheek squished uncomfortably on the palm of his hand.</p><p>The blonde groaned, but didn't find it in himself to get mad at Juyeon because he had fallen asleep while he was talking to him. The younger had had a long and tiring day at work, he was justified and... he was lucky he was cute. </p><p>Jaehyun smiled fondly as he helped Juyeon to lay down on his back and then tucking him in with care. He stared at his sleeping figure for a moment, thinking about how he'd ever manage to cope if Juyeon were to say no. He pushed back the fluffy black fringe of his hair and left a little kiss on the now exposed forehead, like the ravenette did to him on a daily basis and then turned off the lights.</p><p>"Juyeonie?"</p><p>"Uh?"</p><p>"Goodnight."</p><p>He laid close to Juyeon, resting his hand on his chest and lulled by the younger's steady breathing, he quickly fell asleep too.</p><p>The next evening, he wanted to try again, but they weren't alone: Changmin and Eric had come over  for an impromptu movie night. And Juyeon seemed to have forgotten all about the conversation they were supposed to have.</p><p>Jaehyun was sitting on the couch looking at what was happening on television, but not really following. Big pout in full display to make his displeasure well visible, but Juyeon wasn't even looking at him. He was just too busy commenting the movie with Eric to either talk to or cuddle with him. </p><p>The pang in his chest felt a lot like jealousy. Or insecurity.</p><p>Maybe a little bit of both.</p><p>What if their love for one another wasn't enough for Juyeon to chose him over all <em>this?</em> Was it selfish of him to hope that Juyeon would?</p><p>The Juyeon he used to know would've in a heartbeat, he was sure. The problem was, they weren't sixteen anymore.</p><p>If Jaehyun were him, would he be willing to give up his life in Atlantis, everything, just to be with Juyeon?</p><p>The answer came to him easier than he thought it would.</p><p>As the Prince of Atlantis he had duties towards his people, but with his father still on the Throne he wasn't going to have to fulfill them till later on. And he could always come and go to visit his family, like Juyeon used to do when they were younger.</p><p>So, what if <em>he</em> stayed instead?</p><p>Changmin seemed to be the only one who had noticed that he wasn't in the best mood, he nudged at him to get his attention and tried to ask.</p><p>"It's nothing really-"</p><p>His eyes going back to where Juyeon was, a little smile forming on his lips the more he stared at him laughing and joking around with his friend. Happy Juyeon made him happy too.</p><p>Maybe he <em>would</em> stay.</p><p>"-it's stupid. I am stupid."</p><p>"Alright... if you say so. Look, do you remember Eric's bowling date? Juyeon has to go to that fund-raise thingy and can't come, but... you could come with me instead, right? I'm sure you'll love it and besides, it won't be a romantic date, just, you know, a friendly date... between friends? Please, I really don't want to third wheel Eric and Minjee. Please."</p><p>"You're my friend too, Changmin. Of course I'll come with you. Just- what's <em>bowling?</em>"</p><p>Another problem had occurred with the data from the accounting department and Juyeon had to stay in late to solve it. Chanhee's shift had ended first and he had already left, but the blonde was quick to rush back to the company building to help him as soon as he was informed, dressed in the casual clothes he had went out with.</p><p>("Before you comment on it, because I know you will. The prints on this sweater are not eggs, but <em>flowers.</em>")</p><p>With a pair of extra hands, Juyeon was able to finish in time for dinner. He basically obliged the blonde to come eat at the pier restaurant with him and his friends with the intent to thank him for his help by offering him dinner.</p><p>He decided to stop by his apartment to change into more comfortable clothes first.</p><p>"It will only take a few minutes, I promise. Do you want to come up?"</p><p>"Maybe next time, don't worry. I'll wait for you here and maybe call Sangyeon to update him on the problems we are having with the company software."</p><p>"Alright!-" Juyeon easily agreed, already running up the stairs to reach his floor "-I'll make it quick then!" </p><p>"Take your time, please! I don't want to see you tumbling down the stairs!"</p><p>Juyeon's laugh echoed through the stairwell in answer to Chanhee's comment as he inserted the password on the pad beside the door.</p><p>Then he entered inside his apartment, already loosening the black tie around his neck with a relieved sigh. He walked straight past the living room directed towards his bedroom, but he stopped in the middle of the hallway when he finally processed what he had seen out of the corner of his eye.</p><p>Juyeon shook his head and took the couple of steps backwards that were separating him from one of the two archways beside his couch. He crossed it and found the room empty, just like he had left it.</p><p>He probably was just exhausted because of work and had just imagined it. There was no other possible explanation.</p><p>Juyeon run a hand through his hair with a tired sigh and, now ready to get back to his room to change (he didn't want to make Chanhee wait longer that necessary), he turned around, but he didn't get to even take a step forward, that he had bumped right into something hard or better, someone.</p><p>"Oh sh-"</p><p>He cursed under his breath, when he met the eyes of the tall man in elegant clothes and with a golden trident in hand that was in front of him.</p><p>Juyeon's hand went automatically to grab at his chest, where (he was sure) he was about to have an heart attack. He took a couple of shaky breaths in to calm himself down enough to face Jaehyun's father.</p><p> "Your Majesty...?"</p><p>"Lee Juyeon, it's been a long time. You've grown up well."</p><p>"I don't mean to seem rude, but... how did you get inside my apartment?"</p><p>"From the main door of course. Younghoon is a very loyal and observant guard, he instructed me on how to reach and enter the building. So, this is where humans live now these days?"</p><p>"No, this is where <em>I</em> live-" Juyeon shook his head as he sat down on the couch, his legs were still too shaky from the scare to sustain his weight "-is there anybody else here with you?"</p><p>King Lee Chin Hae shook his head no in response and Juyeon nodded to himself, clearing his throat awkwardly. He stood up and gestured for the man to take a seat on the couch and offered him something to drink, but His Majesty declined and just stayed standing.</p><p>"So... to what do I owe the pleasure?"</p><p>"You're smart Juyeon. You know why I'm here. Where is my son?"</p><p>"Jaehyun is with my friends, they are all good people, I swear."</p><p>"That's good to hear, because I wanted to talk to you, alone."</p><p>Juyeon gulped, looking troubled as the King of Atlantis started to aimlessly walk around his living room. He thought that it was the most spacious room of his apartment, but the man had an imposing aura that seemed to fill in the space effortlessly. Making Juyeon feel small too in his presence.</p><p>"Is this about Jaehyun? Because I tried to make him reason, but you know better than me that he can be very stubborn when he wants to-"</p><p>"What are your intentions with him? Are you going to marry him?"</p><p>"I-I mean... we haven't talked about it, but I know that I wouldn't want to share my life with anyone else but Jaehyun. So, yeah, I will, eventually. Of course, not without your blessing first, Your Majesty."</p><p>"Now let us assume for a moment that I'll let you marry my son. That would make you prince consort till Jaehyun won't be King and you'll have to co-reign the Kingdom. Something, I believe, you know it can not be done from Land."</p><p>"I'm well aware of what marrying Jaehyun would imply. And I don't have a problem with it. But we are talking about something that's going to happen in years. And maybe not at all. Jaehyun is only thirteenth in line for the throne after all. In the meantime he could-"</p><p>"I know what you are going to suggest and you already know what it is my answer to that."</p><p>"But Jaehyun is happy here and completely safe too-"</p><p>Juyeon tried to argue pulling at his dishelved black hair in frustration. Stubbornness was a trait Jaehyun could've inherited only from his father.</p><p>"I presume that you <em>did</em> study with Jaehyun during his lessons with his uncle, didn't you? It's said that Atlanteans descend directly from mermaids."</p><p>"That's...-" Juyeon scoffed and shook his head in utter disbelief "-that's a legend. What does it have to do with anything?"</p><p>"We call it <em>Charm.</em> Jaehyun doesn't know he has it, that's why he can't really control it, but it is what makes him so... enticing. Mermaids used it to lure humans into the water and kill them, more as a mean to protect themselves than anything else. <em>This.</em> The fact that he is royal blooded and can breathe underwater. And that he can speak to fishes-"</p><p>"He can't speak to all the fishes." </p><p>Juyeon denied and it sounded weak even to his own ears. It was like a part of him had always known, but he had just chosen to ignore it to not complicate things further.</p><p>"I don't know what Jaehyun told you. But there's no Dolphinese language, it doesn't exist. He's special, just like his mother was. And he started to show it since a young age, making him an easy prey for people like Mal Chin. Humans are dangerous for someone like Jaehyun."</p><p>"I'm <em>not</em> dangerous for him. I'd rather die than hurt him."</p><p>"You are a good person, Juyeon. That's why I let you court him for two years, but when one day, you never came back, I thought it was for the best. Your worlds are too different. Danger could be waiting at every corner and Jaehyun wouldn't know how to recognize it and he'd charge head first into it."</p><p>"But...-" Juyeon felt all the fight in him leave in an instant as he tried to weakly argue "-I love him."</p><p>"And because you <em>do,</em> I know that you'll do what I say."</p><p>After explaining to Juyeon what he expected him to do, King Lee Chin Hae left.</p><p>Juyeon was sitting on the couch holding his head in his hands when Chanhee came looking for him.</p><p>"Is there a Cosplay festival in town that I don't know about? I just run into a man with a trident all dressed up like- hey, is everything okay? Do you feel unwell?"</p><p>Juyeon shook his head, but then nodded and stood up abruptly before Chanhee could rest a comforting hand on his back.</p><p>"I'm fine. I'm sorry, give me a few minutes to get changed and then we'll leave, okay?"</p><p>He didn't wait for the blonde's response as he walked down the hallway with sagged shoulders, missing completely the worried look Chanhee was sending his way.</p><p>Once Juyeon was done changing, they left the apartment to meet the others at the pier restaurant. When he spotted the ravenette's red and glassy eyes, Chanhee tried to ask him again, but after Juyeon had snapped at him, he gave up on trying a third time.</p><p>They sat down at their usual booth, where Changmin and Sunwoo were waiting for them with their food, but Juyeon didn't spare even a glance towards it. He had lost his appetite.</p><p>"Where are Jaehyun and Eric?"</p><p>"I think Eric accompanied him to get ice cream. It's quite late-" Changmin smiled apologetically "-and they ate already. We agreed to wait for you to arrive first, but you know how those two are. I waited though. And Sunwoo has been keeping me company."</p><p>Chanhee was the one assuring the brunette that it wouldn't have been a problem if he had eaten early with the others too.</p><p>Sunwoo sat close to Juyeon eyeing with interest the shining crystal that was his necklace. He casually rested an arm over the other's shoulders while Juyeon's eyes were fixed out of the window. Once he spotted Eric and Minjee coming from the pier, he shrugged off Sunwoo's arm, abruptly stood up and marched out of the restaurant. Unaware of the now missing weight around his neck.</p><p>"Where is Jaehyun? I thought you were looking after him!"</p><p>"Juyeon, calm down! He's over there with his friend Jacob."</p><p>Eric said raising his hands in a placating manner, when he saw how agitated his friend was.</p><p>"Jacob? Jaehyun doesn't know any Jacob!"</p><p>"Blonde hair? Gentle smile? He is from Canada and plays guit-"</p><p>But Juyeon had already walked past him, before Eric was done talking, and towards the wooden bench Jaehyun was sitting on. The Prince smiled brightly as soon as he saw the ravenette approaching them.</p><p>"Juyeonie!"</p><p>"Jaehyun, what did I tell you about befriending random strang- wait, I know you! You are-"</p><p>Juyeon frowned when he saw the blonde man Jaehyun was speaking to, trying hard to search in his memory just where he knew him from.</p><p>"Jacob Bae-" the blonde smiled sweetly and stood up, offering Juyeon his hand to shake "-I play guitar on the staircase of your company building in the mornings. You left me a generous tip days ago!"</p><p>"He's very talented! And he agreed to teach me someday too!"</p><p>Juyeon shook his hand albeit unenthusiastically. Jacob Bae seemed nice, there wasn't anything wrong with him and Jaehyun had probably met him when he first came to visit Juyeon at work. So, maybe it was all because of the paranoia King Chin Hae put in his head that, when he looked at Jacob, he thought that too nice didn't mean any good.</p><p>"Very kind of you, Jacob Bae. But Jaehyun and I really need to go now. See you!"</p><p>He didn't wait for a response and just pulled Jaehyun along by his wrist. The Prince waved back at the singer wanna-be, tripping over his feet more than not as he tried to keep up with Juyeon's fast pace.</p><p>"Juyeon, you're hurting me!"</p><p>Jaehyun struggled against the tight hold the younger had on his arm, when he felt nails digging into his skin, and Juyeon let go of him instantly.</p><p>"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. It's just- why can't you listen to me for once? You're too friendly, people are... they can take advantage of it."</p><p>"But Jacob is going to-"</p><p>"I don't care about Jacob! You're not going to meet up with him again!"</p><p>"You're not my Father! You don't get to tell me what to and not to do!"</p><p>"Whatever, apparently you don't listen to him either."</p><p>Juyeon mumbled under his breath as he started walking to get back to his car, convinced that Jaehyun was going to follow, but when, after a couple of steps, he turned around to check, the Prince was still where he left him.</p><p>"You talked to my Father, didn't you? Bubbles told me he saw him leaving the Palace this evening."</p><p>"Who is <em>Bubbles</em> now?!"</p><p>"It doesn't matter-" he dismissed Juyeon's exasperated question "-you did, didn't you? What did he say to you?"</p><p>"Nothing that I didn't know already-" Juyeon sighed, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. It had been a long day. Work and then the conversation with Jaehyun's father... he suddenly felt <em>drained</em> and thought that this was as good as an occasion to keep his promise to the man as he could get. "-Jaehyun, look, we come from two different worlds. It's not going to work out, we are not children anymore. You'll have to get married by the end of the year and... I'm not ready to get married yet, I'm only twenty two...  I'll do it with someone I love wh-"</p><p>"Just say it."</p><p>"I don't... love you."</p><p>Jaehyun scoffed. He never thought that the first time he'd hear Juyeon say the word to him, it would be like <em>that.</em> He chuckled bitterly with both arms crossed protectingly over his chest.</p><p>"Say it while looking me in the eyes, would you?"</p><p>"I don't love you."</p><p>Juyeon repeated the words staring right back into the blonde's eyes this time. He tried hard not to let any emotion show on his face, to keep it as a mask of indifference, while Jaehyun observed him silently. It seemed like he was looking for something in Juyeon's gaze. Whatever it was, he had found it, because he smiled sadly, nodding to himself.</p><p>"You are lying."</p><p>"Jaehyun-"</p><p>"Save it. I would've given up everything just to stay here with you, but... if you're not going to fight for us, why should I? I'm going home, like my Father wants and... apparently you do too."</p><p>Jaehyun walked past him, bumping his shoulder hard against Juyeon's, and stood in front of the car waiting for the younger to open it up for him.</p><p>"Jaehyun... you have to understand, please, I-"</p><p>"<em>Don't</em> talk to me. I'll be out of your hair by tomorrow morning, now bring me back to your apartment. I need my clothes."</p><p>Despite he had basically ordered Juyeon not to talk to him again, the younger still opened his mouth. He told Jaehyun that he was going to escort him to Atlantis the next day (making the blonde roll his eyes), but not before they had talked again about it.</p><p>"I know you're mad at me, but I want you to know that I'm sorry, I really am. I shouldn't have-" when the blonde cleared his throat loudly from under the covers of the bed in the guest room, Juyeon finally understood to leave him alone "-I'll give you your space now. I'm sorry, baby- Jaehyun, fuck. I'm sorry. We'll talk tomorrow, alright? Goodnight."</p><p>The next morning, Jaehyun didn't wait for the younger to wake up before he left.</p><p>He couldn't believe that Juyeon had listened to his father and lied to his face instead of talking to him first. Like the ravenette had said the night before, they <em>still</em> needed to talk, but the Prince wasn't in the mood to do so. And he could go back to Atlantis on his own, thank you very much.</p><p>Just, how was being twenty three old enough to get married, but not to go home without protection?</p><p>The blonde left behind Juyeon's clothes and changed back into his linen white and golden ones. He stayed kneeling on the floor by the younger's bed, looking at him sleeping peacefully for awhile.</p><p>"I forgave you already, Juyeonie."</p><p>He whispered as to not wake the other up and with a little kiss on Juyeon's cheek, he exited the apartment. Jaehyun felt his heart constrict in his chest, the more distance he put between himself and Juyeon's home. He walked from it to the company building the ravenette worked at and again from there to the pier restaurant.</p><p>Jaehyun took a shaky breath in and blinked rapidly looking up, no, he wasn't going to cry now. Then, he took a run down the wooden bridge and jumped into the sea, unaware of the fishing net waiting for him in the water.</p><p>"Caught him!-" the man, comfortably sitting on the white bench of his boat, exclaimed "-now pull him up."</p><p>He stood up, walking close to his henchmen, who were holding onto the ends of the ropes securing the net to the ship, and they were quick to obey, pulling Jaehyun up. </p><p>The blonde was struggling against the threads that were binding him, but no matter how hard he tried, he ended up more entangled in them.</p><p>His grey spotted dolphin friend, that had been waiting for him by the pier, was now squeaking in alarm, jumping up and down to reach the net and maybe break it with its teeth, just like Jaehyun was trying to do with his own.</p><p>"Kill the stupid fish and take <em>His Highness</em> on board to the accommodation we reserved just for him, will you?"</p><p>As soon as the words left the boss' mouth, one of the men there, chuckled cruelly and took out a gun. </p><p>"With pleasure."</p><p>"No! Please don't!"</p><p>Jaehyun shouted, desperately trying to free himself from the net still trapping him. The dolphin was crying loudly, now that the blonde was on the boat and completely out of reach.</p><p>The man pointed his weapon towards it and then, he shot.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As promised, dramas are here !!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Like a fish in a tank</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Juyeon woke up that morning and he didn't find Jaehyun in the guest room, he knew that he had left.</p><p>A little part of him hoped that he was still around and he could fix it, but the Prince obviously wasn't. And life just went on, careless about anyone's pain or problems.</p><p>Juyeon got ready and drove to work like any other morning, but with a hole the size of his heart in his chest. He sat in his parked car longer than usual, looking regretfully at the round dolphin plush hanging from the keys as it swung back and forth. He had sworn to never hurt him, but he did and Jaehyun wanted nothing to do with him now. He deserved it, he thought.</p><p>Chanhee greeted him, brought him coffee, the folders of documents he needed to work through and lunch, then he left him alone. The blonde had meant to ask about the previous night, but Juyeon looked like a kicked puppy and in no mood to talk, so he didn't. </p><p>Somewhere during the day the elevator doors opened and Sangyeon waltzed out of them, Chanhee didn't even get to stand up from his workstation to stop him, that the CEO was already entering Juyeon's office.</p><p>"Hey, Juyeon! How is it going? I heard from Chanhee that the software has been giving you problems lately."</p><p>Sangyeon asked, as soon as he was inside the room, eyeing with interest the half eaten plate of food on his friend's desk.</p><p>"I had to work overtime two days already this week, because it messes everything up-" Juyeon mumbled, looking away from the desktop of his computer (that he had been staring at unblinkingly for the most part of his shift) and rubbing at his eyes tiredly "-if you wanted to know about the malfunction you could've just called. No need for you to come here in person."</p><p>"Nah, I needed to stretch my legs and besides, I wanted to talk to you in person about this. I assigned an IT team to solve the problem and hopefully we won't face it again. The software was in need of one more upgrade to work properly."</p><p>"Good to hear. I don't think I would've survived another evening of typing out numbers from scratch... I still think you could've just call-"</p><p>"Here comes the best part, because it was thanks to this malfunction that I realized something. The previous data and the new one don't add up."</p><p>"So, you're saying-" Juyeon frowned feeling suddenly more attentive "-that someone has been stealing from the company? Since when? Who?"</p><p>"That's what I'm going to find out. I already talked to the proper authorities and they will investigate the case with the utmost discretion. No one knows about this, just you and me. And I want it to stay this way, alright?"</p><p>"Of course, Sangyeon. I won't say a word to anyone, but-"</p><p>"Enough about this, I'll update you as soon as I get more informations. Till then, how's Jaehyun? Are you going to bring him to the fund-rise tomorrow night?"</p><p>"Jaehyun is-" Juyeon visibly saddened at the mention of the blonde "-he... he went back home."</p><p>"That sucks! I wanted to ask him to meet one of his sisters, if they are all as pretty as him, one is as good as another. I'm not picky. Maybe some other time then."</p><p>"Wait...-" Juyeon looked confusedly at Sangyeon, as he flopped down on the black leather chair in front of his desk and started to eat his leftovers. "-how do you know about his sisters? Did Jaehyun tell you about them?"</p><p>"No, I think it was Mr. Jung, who told me... yeah, it was him! He seemed to know quite a lot about Jaehyun's family too."</p><p>Juyeon felt his blood run cold as he connected the dots in his head. How could he have not realized it sooner? Even if he knew the answer already, he had to ask Sangyeon for the man's full name to confirm it.</p><p>"Jung Mal Chin. Why? Didn't you know that?"</p><p>Juyeon had managed to stop himself from unnecessarily panicking, reassuring himself that he had done the right thing by sending Jaehyun home. If Jung Mal Chin was the same man who had killed his mother, the Prince was going to be safer far from Land.</p><p>A knock at the door of his apartment the next morning, was all it took for him to start doubting that Jaehyun had <em>really</em> made it back to Atlantis.</p><p>"Where is he?"</p><p>Juyeon didn't get to even answer the question, that Younghoon had already pumped against him harshly in order to enter the quarter.</p><p>Kevin smiled apologetically at the ravenette, when he saw him rubbing the shoulder that Younghoon had hit with the golden pauldron, a piece of his partial armor.</p><p>"I'll ask you again, where is he? His Majesty said he shou-"</p><p>"I did my part! I did what he wanted, alright? Jaehyun left during the night the other day, probably, I don't know. The next morning he wasn't here. He went back to Atlantis."</p><p>"He didn't, that's why we came here."</p><p>If Juyeon had managed to avoid a panic attack the day before, he was going to have one now. Jaehyun had left, but didn't went back home, so where could he be?<br/>
He didn't want to assume the worst, but it was hard not to, when both Changmin and Eric assured him that the blonde hadn't come to them (Jaehyun didn't know where they lived) or contacted them (he didn't know how to use a phone), then who-</p><p>And it was when he heard Kevin humming under his breath as he ate the sandwich Juyeon had prepared for him, that someone came to mind. He slammed his hand hard on the kitchen counter, making Kevin jump in fright on his stool.</p><p>"I knew he was <em>too</em> nice!"</p><p>Juyeon called Chanhee to inform him that he was taking the day off, because he wasn't feeling too well (true, in part, he was feeling awful since Jaehyun had left), but in reality he was driving towards his company building with both Kevin and Younghoon to look for Jacob Bae.</p><p>Jacob had said that he played guitar on the staircase of his workplace in the mornings, he should still be there, Juyeon thought.</p><p>When they arrived, he easily spotted Jacob's blonde head on the steps with his guitar in hand. He stopped the car and ordered the two Atlanteans with him to stay inside (making Younghoon scoff) as he got out and run towards the guitarist.</p><p>"Hey! You!"</p><p>Juyeon called out, making Jacob stop strumming his guitar, the melody had sounded a lot like the one Jaehyun hummed from time to time. The blonde raised his head and looked for whoever had been shouting on the sidewalk with a confused frown.</p><p>"Juyeon!-" Jacob smiled brightly and waved energetically in greeting, as soon as his eyes landed on Juyeon climbing the staircase "-good to see you! Isn't Jaehyun with you?"</p><p>"No and drop the act, I know he is with you-"</p><p>"Uhm... he is not?"</p><p>Jacob put his guitar in its black case and stood up slinging it over his shoulder. He looked with a raised eyebrow at the weirdly clothed pair that was following Juyeon, hearing the ravenette hiss "I thought I told you to wait in the car!" at them.</p><p>"It's clear that you lack the training of a soldier, this is no way of obtaining informations from a criminal. I couldn't possibly let the destiny of our Prince rest in your inexperienced hands. Now, allow me to show you how it's done-"</p><p>Younghoon calmly said, pushing his way in front of Juyeon. And Jacob saw the tall man smile sweetly at him and the next thing he knew, he had a very big sword pointed towards him.</p><p>"I demand you, <em>human,</em> to tell me where you are keeping His Highness Lee Jaehyun right this instant or you're going to taste the blade of my sword."</p><p>To prove his point, Younghoon pushed the tip of the weapon more against Jacob's chest, making the blonde gulp loudly.</p><p>"<em>Obviously,</em> this is not going to work either!-" it was Kevin the one who pushed Younghoon to the side and ordered him to put the sword away, as he smiled apologetically at the cute blonde with the soothing voice. "-Greetings, Jacob. My name is Moon Kevin, personal Advisor and cousin of-"</p><p>"Jacob-" Juyeon brought the blonde's attention back to himself and gesticulated vaguely in the direction of both Kevin and Younghoon "-this is a long story. Just, he came to you, didn't he? Jaehyun came looking for you-"</p><p>"I'm sorry, Juyeon. But we never spoke again after the jealous boyfriend stunt you pulled outside the restaurant two days ago."</p><p>Juyeon pulled at his already dishelved hair in frustration and let out a shaky breath. If Jaehyun wasn't with Jacob, they were back to square one and he didn't know where the blonde could be. What if something had happened to him? What if he was hurt? Juyeon felt himself hyperventilating at the thought alone.</p><p>"But I did see him the other day. I mean, I'm not sure, but I think I did? You know I come here early in the morning to play, right? And I saw someone that looked like Jaehyun, but the clothes... wait, no, thinking about it, I'm pretty sure it was him. They were similar to his!-" he exclaimed then pointing at Kevin's white and gold attire "-He was going in the direction of the pier. Why? Is he missing?"</p><p>But Juyeon was already running back towards his car, the tall man with the sword following close.</p><p>"He is. We're looking for him-" the dark haired man, that had presented himself as Kevin Moon, answered his questions as he bowed respectfully in front of the blonde "-thank you for your time and informations."</p><p>"Wait! Jaehyun is my friend too! I want to help you finding him!"</p><p>Kevin grabbed Jacob by the wrist and pulled him along with a smile and a "we do need all the help we can get."</p><p>During the short drive to the pier, Jacob explained that he had met Jaehyun one morning and the clothes, he had been wearing then, were the same that he had seen on him a day ago.</p><p>He had been soaked in water as he stared at him playing on the steps, with a big smile. Jaehyun had been his only audience of the day and the most dedicated of all he had ever had: clapping hard and cheering loudly every time he finished a song. He had complimented his music so much, that the fact he had left one of his numerous golden rings as a tip, instead of actual money, hadn't even bothered him.</p><p>Jaehyun had told him that where he came from, no one played guitar. The closest thing they had to a music instrument like that was probably the lyre. Kevin confirmed it for him (and also confusing him more) by saying that a musician like Jacob would be highly requested among noble houses.</p><p>"If he came to the pier, it means that he <em>was</em> going home... why didn't he then? What happened?"</p><p>Juyeon reasoned aloud as he walked up and down the wooden bridge of the pier and Younghoon looked for clues around the place.</p><p>Kevin decided to share their secret with Jacob, he was Jaehyun's friend after all and deserved to know. And Jacob took it better than he thought he would: he didn't laugh or ask for proofs, just smiled and nodded to himself, because, to him, everything made so much more sense now. He was curious and had questions, but when he heard squeaking coming slightly offshore, he decided they could wait.</p><p>"Look! Dolphins! I've never seen some so close to the beach before-"</p><p>"Of course!-" Juyeon exclaimed out of nowhere, face palming himself hard on the forehead "<em>-Bubbles!</em>"</p><p>"Uh... what?"</p><p>"He lost his mind-" Younghoon scoffed with his arms crossed over his chest as Juyeon started to whistle and wave to get the dolphins' attention "-we should just forget about him and go back to Atlantis, alert the King and move on Land with actual troops to find Jaehyun."</p><p>"No, you don't understand. Bubbles!-" Juyeon kept repeating the word like it meant something. And to him it did, he felt like crying, because- "-Jaehyun named the dolphin like the one from the book!-" <em>His</em> book. His gift for him "-I'm so stupid."</p><p>A familiar looking spotted dolphin swam away from its group and got close to the end of the wooden bridge, where Juyeon had kneeled down. As soon as it was in front of him, it spat water in his face and the ravenette laughed, sputtering out the water that got into his mouth.</p><p>"It's you!"</p><p>And the dolphin seemed to answer to him by nodding its head and squeaking in delight. Then Juyeon searched in his memory for what he had learned from the <em>Dolphinese lessons</em> Jaehyun had tried to give him, and started to alternate clicking sounds to loud and low whistles. The dolphin making similar noises in return.</p><p>"What are you doing?!"</p><p>Yoonghoon asked exasperatedly as he too, like Kevin and Jacob, was assisting at what was happening in confusion and utter disbelief.</p><p>"I'm asking him about Jaehyun!"</p><p>"How do you know you're asking about him and not just, you know... descending into madness?!"</p><p>"Because Bubbles used to do the exact same sounds every time he saw Jaehyun. So, I think that it is either Jaehyun's name in dolphin language or something related to him-" with that said Juyeon went back to try and communicate with the dolphin, but without much improvement "-Fuck! I can't do it, I don't understand him- but <em>you</em> do! Dolphins are one of the most intelligent animals in the world, you <em>do</em> understand me, don't you?"</p><p>Bubbles repeated the sequence of sounds it used for Jaehyun and Juyeon nodded in understanding.</p><p>"Jaehyun, yeah, alright. Where is he? Atlantis?-" the dolphin spat more water in Juyeon's face in answer "-I'll take that as a no. Do you know where he is then?"</p><p>The dolphin swam away but close enough to shore so they could be able to see it from the beach. It squealed impatiently and Juyeon realized that Bubbles was waiting for them. </p><p>Juyeon run back to the head of the wooden bridge, where it met the sand, and jumped down, following the dolphin from shore with the trio close behind.</p><p>Bubbles led them to the bottom of a cliff, where a big Villa was resting on the top of it, overlooking the sea. And Juyeon turned white as soon as he recognized the docked boat near it.</p><p>"No... please, <em>no.</em>"</p><p>As if on clue, his phone started to ring in his pants and Juyeon took it out to check the caller ID with shaking hands: it was his personal assistant.</p><p>"Chanhee-" he huffed as soon as he had picked up, he was not in the mood to talk about work "-this is not the right time-"</p><p>"Juyeon, I know you called in sick today and I wouldn't bother you if it wasn't an important matter. It's about Mr. Jung. He's here, in your office. Asking about you. Do you-"</p><p>"...Chanhee?"</p><p>Juyeon called out tentatively, when he didn't hear the blonde talk anymore.</p><p>"Lee Juyeon, I heard from your assistant that you took the day off, I hope you're not feeling too unwell to come to the party tonight."</p><p>It was Mr. Jung's voice to answer him, making him grit his teeth and tightening dangerously his hold on the phone.</p><p>"Unfortunately, I might have something else to-"</p><p>"I doubt that whatever you have to do is more important than your precious Jaehyun-" the mention of the blonde successfully shut Juyeon up. Confirming the worst: the man had him. "-do I have your attention now?"</p><p>Juyeon nodded wide eyed and, once he realized that Mr. Jung couldn't see him, he curtly answered "Yes."</p><p>"If you want to see him again, I suggest you do exactly as I say. You'll come to the party tonight, I'll give the address to your personal assistant, don't worry.<br/>
And you bring me the crystal you have."</p><p>Juyeon's hand went automatically looking for the comforting shape and weight of said pendant, but came out empty. Younghoon, who was straining his ears to listen to what Mr. Jung was saying on the other line, looked with a scowl at the missing crystal on Juyeon's neck.</p><p>"And you'll let him go... unharmed?</p><p>"If I had wanted to hurt him, I would have already. Don't you think?"</p><p>"I want to speak to him first."</p><p>"I don't think you are in the right position to make any demands, Lee Juyeon. The crystal at the party tonight and I'll reunite you with your Atlantean boyfriend."</p><p>Then the line went dead, but before Juyeon could panic, because he had apparently lost the crystal Jaehyun had gifted him, his phone started to ring again. It was Chanhee, the blonde had eavesdropped the phone call from his workstation, even though he knew that he shouldn't have. And he understood that Mr. Jung had kidnapped Jaehyun and wanted to call the police.</p><p>"Chanhee, no. The police can <em>not</em> be involved, you heard me? I need you to breathe and calm down. Finish your shift and get me a suit for the party that piece of shit is hosting, bring one for you too, you're coming with me. I'll wait for you at my apartment, okay?"</p><p>"He's not going to give Jaehyun back, you know that right?-" the moment Juyeon had put his phone away, Younghoon was on him "-not even for the crystal! Which you wouldn't be able to give to him anyway, because you don't have it anymore! Do you even know how much trouble we'll get into for this?!"</p><p>"I know! <em>I know,</em> alright! Just, shut up for a second, I can't think with you shouting at me!"</p><p>"No, I won't! You need to hear this! We don't even know if he's alive or not! And you lost the crystal! How do you lose something <em>that</em> important?! Congratulations, by the way. Your stupidity continues to surprise me!"</p><p>They all had enough to worry about, without needing Younghoon to make it worse. Juyeon gritted his teeth, blood boiling with anger and closed both hands into two tight fists to avoid punching the Atlantean in the face. Just-</p><p>"What even is your problem?!"</p><p>"<em>You!</em> You are my problem! Jaehyun is in danger because of you!"</p><p>"No, you're still bitter because he chose me and you didn't even get the chance to court him!-" Younghoon seemed to be visibly taken aback by the accusation and Juyeon smirked, because he knew he hit a nerve."-Maybe you should've grown a pair and confessed six years ago instead of blaming me for stealing him away like you've been doing! Holding a grudge like a little kid!"</p><p>"We're not going to help Jaehyun like this-"</p><p>Kevin tentatively tried to intervene, as both of them were already chest to chest giving murderous looks to one another and he didn't want it to get any worse. Jacob stopped him from getting himself between the two with a gentle hand on his shoulder.</p><p>"That’s in the past. But <em>maybe</em> you shouldn't have come back! Jaehyun deserves better than a pathetic human! Better than <em>you!</em>"</p><p>That was the last straw. No one got the time to react, because the punch was already on its way and landed well-aimed on Younghoon's face. The sound of his nose breaking feeling like music to Juyeon's ears.</p><p>Younghoon laughed as he snapped his nose back in place, without as much of a grimace, but before he could counterattack, Bubbles squeaked loudly successfully getting their attention.</p><p>The dolphin was swimming in circles in front of a metal grate half submerged in water, closing a passage dug into the rock.</p><p>"That could be our way inside."</p><p>"How?! We don't know how long it is! What if it continues underwater? You can't breathe without the crystal! You lost it, remember?! And I'm no giving you mine, don't even think about it!"</p><p>"I didn't lose it! I never take it off, so-"</p><p>"So, <em>what?</em> Someone stole it?!"</p><p>And with that, Juyeon realized something. Jaehyun had a thing to play with the necklace when they woke up in bed together, so, he was sure that he had had it on till- the night at the pier restaurant flashed before his eyes and there was only one person there, who could've taken it. Only one person with some kind of Magpie Syndrome.</p><p>"Sunwoo has it."</p><p>"And where is this Sunwoo?"</p><p>"I don't know! But Haknyeon, his friend should. He works at the pier restaurant."</p><p>"I could go there and get it back from him, if it could help you in anyway."</p><p>Jacob offered and Juyeon was quick to accept, exchanging phone numbers to make it easier to communicate with each other. And Kevin, eager to spend more time with the blonde, decided to accompany him, despite Younghoon's complaints.</p><p>"If I have the crystal or not doesn't matter, what does, is that Mr. Jung believes I do."</p><p>"We can't leave it in the hands of a human-" Younghoon argued, dabbing with the back of his hand at the drop of blood that was flowing down his nose, and then as an afterthought added "-a human that's not you."</p><p>"They'll get it back. How's your nose? I shouldn't have punched you."</p><p>"I deserved it and besides, we heal faster that humans, so..."</p><p>They nodded to each other, both of them knowing that their awkward interaction was the closest thing to an apology (without actually apologizing) they were ever going to get from one another.</p><p>Juyeon emptied his pockets on the sand and then jumped into the water. He swam up to the front of the grate to inspect it, finding, thanks to Bubbles' prodding with its snout, a hole in the half that was underwater.</p><p>"There's a passage big enough for us to sneak through. I can't see the end of the tunnel but it couldn't hurt to check it out."</p><p>Younghoon followed him into the water and through the passage. It brought them to another rounded opening, situated just over their heads and closed off too by a metal grate and a long chain.</p><p>Juyeon grabbed the metal bars and pulled himself up enough to be able to see what there was on the other side, Younghoon wordlessly lending him his shoulders to help sustaining his weight.</p><p>"Do you see anything?"</p><p>There was a room, looking like some kind of basement, that had been dug into the rocks, just like the passage they had just used.</p><p>In the dimmed light coming from the industrial lights hanging from the ceiling, Juyeon saw a big desk with big computer monitors on it, in front of a wall papered with notes and photos of the passages from Land to Atlantis, the Royal family members (Jaehyun included) and the map of a diamond shaped island: Atlas.</p><p>Juyeon kept looking around the place, a man was sitting on a chair in a corner medicating his bloody shoulder, where it looked like he had been shot.</p><p>He was standing right beside a glass tank filled with water, similar to the ones illusionists used for their acts with the way the grated lid on top was heavily locked, but bigger in size.</p><p>Jaehyun was sitting inside it, blonde head hidden between his knees, a metal chain attaching his ankle to the bottom of his glass cage, ensuring that he wasn't going to escape. Juyeon felt is heart ache in his chest in both relief, because the Prince seemed unharmed, and guilt, because Younghoon was right, it was his fault that Jaehyun was in Mr. Jung's clutches.</p><p>Speaking of the devil, the doors of a big elevator opened and Jung Mal Chin himself walked out of it followed by two men dressed in black suits, one of them went to check on the injured one.</p><p>"How's the shoulder?"</p><p>"It would've been better if you had shot the fish and not <em>me!</em>"</p><p>"That <em>freak-</em>" he pointed an accusing finger toward the glass tank, Jaehyun "-grabbed my leg and I tripped! It's not my fault!"</p><p>Jaehyun raised his head, as Mal Chin walked up to the glass tank, and looked at the man with eyes full of hatred. If looks could kill, the man would probably be dead already.</p><p>"Oh, don't look at me like that, <em>Princeling.</em> Your tricks are not going to work on me-" he pointedly knocked on the glass separating them "-there's glass, remember? Besides, you should be feeling right at home. You're part fish after all, aren't you?"</p><p>Jaehyun stood up resting both hands into two tight fists onto the glass, on either side of Mr. Jung's head.</p><p>"I'm going to kill you."</p><p>The voice was a little muffled because of the water around him, but the words came out clear as day from his mouth and made Mal Chin laugh loudly.</p><p>"I'd like to see you try. You know, Jaehyun. This is going to be a very important night, we'll get the founds for the equipment necessary to conquer Atlantis-"</p><p>"You mean <em>invade.</em>"</p><p>Mr. Jung didn't even acknowledge Jaehyun's correction and went on talking as if the blonde hadn't even opened his mouth in the first place.</p><p>"-and once your father hands me his Kingdom, I'll just give you away to the highest offerer and they'll do whatever they please with you. Study... experiment, I don't really care."</p><p>"You're not going to get away with this! At home, they'll know I'm missing- Juyeon will! He is probably looking for me now, he'll stop you."</p><p>"Ah, Lee Juyeon! Your knight in shining armor, right?-" Mr. Jung laughed clearly amused by the fact Jaehyun could even think such a thing, making the blonde frown and Juyeon tighten his hold on the metal, till his knuckles had turned white "-why isn't he here already then? If you're <em>so</em> important to him? Don't pout like that, maybe you weren't that good of a lay. It doesn't matter either way, once he brings me the crystal I need, he'll follow the same fate of your stupid mother."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sooooo we’re almost at the end !!! </p><p>The next chapter is going to be the second part of the grand finale and then we’ll have a short epilogue to wrap everything together.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Charm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Juyeon had never felt more powerless as he watched like a mere spectator to what was happening behind the metal bars. The rational part of him knew that he couldn't do anything, not without coming up with a plan first. A rescue plan.</p><p>He took the passage back to the sea, followed by Younghoon and once outside, he retrieved his phone and called Jacob. Apparently Sunwoo was nowhere to be found, but Haknyeon had assured him that the younger was going to work as a waiter for his catering company that same night at Mr. Jung's rise fund.</p><p>The news gave Juyeon an idea and he talked to Haknyeon through Jacob's phone to ask for his help.</p><p>The more he listened to the ravenette explain his plan and the more Younghoon didn't look pleased with it.</p><p>After a quick stop at Eric's house to borrow one of the tools in his garage, he left Jacob and both Atlanteans with Haknyeon at the pier restaurant to prepare for the night.</p><p>With that done, Juyeon left for his apartment, where he found Chanhee already waiting for him. He changed in the suit the blonde brought for him, as he had requested, while listening to his loud reasoning about what the best course of action would be in this kind of situation.</p><p>"Chanhee, I already told you the police can't be involved. Jaehyun is... he doesn't have an identification."</p><p>"He doesn't technically exist in the eye of the government, so what? He is still a human person. A person who has been kidnapped none the less, the police has to be informed!"</p><p>"That's the problem-" Juyeon said, buttoning hastily his white shirt and then shoving it into his black dress pants "- Jaehyun is <em>not</em> human, Chanhee."</p><p>"What do you mean he is not human?!"</p><p>And Juyeon didn't have any other choice but to share the truth (a shortened version of it) with Chanhee too. He thought about how easily Kevin had trusted Jacob with it and couldn't help but come to the conclusion that the whole secret thing was kind of overrated.</p><p>Chanhee wasn't totally convinced, he had questions as expected, and Juyeon promised him that he was going to answer all of them later on. The blonde easily agreed, taking his word for it, they were running late, after all.</p><p>Juyeon drove like a madman to Mr. Jung's place and left the car on the path uphill leading to the Villa, there were too many cars already parked in front of it. The closer they got to the building towering up over them and the more nervous Juyeon became. He had involved his friends in a thing that was beyond them, they were a bunch of <em>kids</em> against men with real guns and one of them was a murderer... he would never forgive himself, if something were to happen to any of them.</p><p>Two men in a black uniform opened the doors for them to the spacious salon in the entrance, where soft music was playing and lots of people were already mingling around. Juyeon recognized some from work, but most of the guests were unknown to him. They were all either sipping from their wine glasses or eating tarts from the buffet table in the corner of the room.</p><p>Juyeon directed Chanhee with a hand on his arm in the direction of said table, behind which he spotted Haknyeon dressed in his white chef uniform, busy with refilling the plates of food there and the silver trays the waiters with him were carrying around the room.</p><p>Haknyeon nodded to the two in greeting and while Juyeon asked him about Sunwoo's whereabouts, Chanhee met the eyes of one of the waiters standing beside the table. The blonde recognized in him the same man with the sword from the pier restaurant, Jaehyun's personal guard, Juyeon had said.</p><p>"So... this is what you do on your free time, when you're not threatening random humans?"</p><p>Younghoon's lips twitched in a smile, from where he was perfectly standing still and holding his tray of sandwiches.</p><p>"Humans are dangerous."</p><p>"Do you think I'm dangerous too?"</p><p>The Captain looked at the blonde up and down, assessing him or checking him out (Chanhee wasn't sure), and then smiled wickedly.</p><p>"You are. I'm still not sure how much, though. Can't say that I would mind finding out."</p><p>Chanhee flushed red at Younghoon's bold words and cleared his throat awkwardly, diverting his attention back to Juyeon and Haknyeon still talking hushedly to each other. Just <em>why</em> Atlanteans had to be so good looking?</p><p>"There he comes!-" Haknyeon whispered-shouted as soon as Sunwoo came running towards them, while putting on his uniform for the night "-late as usual! I'm not going to pay you the half an hour you didn't work, just so you know."</p><p>"I'm sorry, okay? I took a nap and I overslept! But I'm here now-" the brunette rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh as he buttoned up his red waiter jacket. He nodded to Juyeon and Chanhee with a smile and then seemed to remember something "-I didn't forget, I swear. I have it... here."</p><p>Sunwoo started to bounce up and down on the spot, trying to get something out of the back pockets of his skin tight black jeans. When he found what he was looking for, he offered Juyeon his closed fist and then slowly opened it to let the necklace fall into the ravenette's awaiting palm. Juyeon quickly slid the crystal over his head and under his shirt, back to its original place.</p><p>"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have taken it. I'll make it up to you, just- <em>anything</em>, I'll do anything you ask. I didn't know it was important-"</p><p>"Alright, you'll owe me a favor. Go back to your shift now, before Haknyeon does target practice on your head with the plates."</p><p>Juyeon waved his hand dismissedly, because what truly mattered was that now he had given it back.</p><p>Once he saw the murderous look Haknyeon was indeed sending his way, Sunwoo smiled apologetically as he took a full tray from the table and brought it around the salon, offering the tarts on it to the guests present.</p><p>Then Sangyeon caught up with them, excusing himself from the little group of people that were still following him around to talk.</p><p>"Oh, you made it! I'm glad!-" the brunette slid an arm over Juyeon's shoulders and checked over them that no one was in close proximity "-I have the updates I promised you on that <em>thing.</em>"</p><p>"Sangyeon, I don't think this is the right time or place to-"</p><p>"It <em>is.</em> Just, hear me out-" and Juyeon didn't have any other choice but to let his friend pull him to the side to talk privately "-It was Mr. Jung, Juyeon. He has been stealing money from the company for years now."</p><p>"Wait... <em>what?</em>"</p><p>"I tried to reach out to him. Be comprehensive, you know. Maybe he needed money desperately?-" Sangyeon laughed bitterly waving with both arms at the salon they were in "-the Villa, the boat... <em>everything,</em> he paid it with the money he stole. He refused to talk to me today, saying that I should come tonight for the presentation of this project of his and then I'd understand."</p><p>"This is-"</p><p>"The police is coming to arrest him tonight. I'm taking it to court, I don't like to be made fun of, Juyeon."</p><p>"No, you're right..." Juyeon couldn't help but think that the police could be the perfect diversion to allow Younghoon and him access to the lift, they needed to get Jaehyun out before their arrival though "-has <em>he</em> shown up?"</p><p>"Not yet-" Sangyeon shook his head looking around the room for Mr. Jung "-but he should be here any minute now."</p><p>As soon as those words left his mouth, the elevator doors on the other side of the room dinged open and Jung Mal Chin himself waltzed out of them accompanied by two of his henchmen.</p><p>Juyeon didn't get to look at him properly, because his phone started to ring in his pocket and he had to excuse himself to answer it when he saw the caller ID.</p><p>"Hey, where are you?"</p><p>"We are in. We took the drain passage like you said. And I'm pretty sure that we're beneath you right now."</p><p>Juyeon had to cover his other ear with a hand to be able to tune out the noise in the salon and hear Jacob properly, but the place the blonde was in didn't seem to be quiet either.</p><p>"Why is there so much noi- wait no, why do I hear Eric's voice there too? I thought you were with Kevin? ...Jacob?"</p><p>A loud thud and some shuffling sounds later, he heard someone finally answering to him.</p><p>"Juyeon?"</p><p>"<em>Eric?</em> What are you doing her-" Juyeon wasn't able to even finish his question that a high pitched "Hi, Juyeon" was screamed in the speaker "-Changmin? What are you guys doing here? <em>How</em> are you here?"</p><p>"I thought you were being suspicious when you asked me about Jaehyun this morning, you know. And then you kept being suspicious when you came over to borrow my bolt cutters. So, I canceled the date with Minjee and decided to crash the party with Changmin!-" Eric explained enthusiastically over the arguing voices of both Changmin and Kevin "-then we saw two other people on the beach, but they weren't going for a romantic walk under the moonlight, <em>no...</em> well, they might as well have been with the way those two look at each other, but, hey! Imagine our surprise, when we found out one of them was Jaehyun's cousin and that they wanted to crash the same party! By the way, I'll need a new suit after this, salted water is bad for clothes."</p><p>"Eric, this is not- you shouldn't have come. Go back home and take Changmin with you, <em>please.</em>"</p><p>"And leave you to deal with all of this on your own? Not a chance! We want to help- Juyeon, there's a problem-"</p><p>"<em>How</em> are you so loud down there?"</p><p>"The crime boss ("I think he was, he was barking orders left and right!") left a man with Jaehyun. He got out to smoke through one of those one way fire doors and we locked him out. He had instructions to bring Jaehyun up for his presentation in the... big aquarium? He wants to reveal Atlantis existence to everyone present tonight."</p><p>"I know, just- be careful! He could've called for backup and they are armed- this is not a joke, Eric-"</p><p>"Juyeon, we can't get Jaehyun out. The glass is shatterproof and there's a lock on the lid and one on his ankle, the bolt cutters are useless on those. We need the keys! Jaehyun says that Mr. Jung keeps them in the front of his jacket!"</p><p>"Shit."</p><p>Juyeon pulled at his hair in frustration, he obviously hadn't thought the plan through enough. He looked briefly up and in the direction of the man in question, he was busy chatting with a couple of his guests. How was he going to get the keys without getting caught? </p><p>Then his eyes landed on Sunwoo and not without some debating with himself first, he decided that he was desperate enough to give it a try.</p><p>"I'll get the keys. You be careful, everyone of you."</p><p>With that said, he ended the call and went to intercept the younger, who had a tray of wine glasses in hand this time around.</p><p>"Sunwoo, I want to call in my favor."</p><p>"<em>Right now?</em>"</p><p>Juyeon nodded slowly and then leaned close enough to him in order to be able to whisper in his ear just what he needed him to do. Sunwoo didn't look intimidated by the task assigned to him, he shrugged and nodded for Juyeon to go ahead.</p><p>The ravenette went to approach Mr. Jung and found the man already walking straight towards him. Juyeon tried to look indifferent, but if the smug smirk on the man's face was anything to go by, he was failing at masking his hatred.</p><p>"Lee Juyeon! I was afraid you'd never show up. My crystal?"</p><p>"You'll have it once I see Jaehyun."</p><p>"Fair enough-"</p><p>Then Sunwoo appeared out of nowhere and crashed against him with his tray, wine and everything.</p><p>"Oh my- I'm so sorry, Sir! I'm mortified- please allow me to help you!"</p><p>The younger took out the napkin tucked in his uniform and used it to dab the spilled wine off Mr. Jung's white suit, his fingers lingering suspiciously on the single pocket in the front.</p><p>Mr. Jung looked to be one step away from murdering Sunwoo with his own hands, but before he could as much as even open his mouth the police barged in through the front doors. </p><p>"Police! Jung Mal Chin, you'll have to come to headquarters with us!"</p><p>The guests in the salon opened a path for the officers to cross and reach the man, who cursed under his breath as his henchmen looked at him for instructions.</p><p>Sunwoo handed the keys, that he had successfully stolen from him, to Juyeon, hiding them as best as he could with the wine stained cloth. Apparently he hadn't been inconspicuous enough, because Mr. Jung's gaze zeroed on the exchange.</p><p>Juyeon squeezed the keys in a tight fist and made a run for the elevator at the other end of the room, where Younghoon was already waiting for him with a food trolley, from which he retrieved his sword, hidden under it by a table cloth.</p><p>Mr. Jung run after the two, pushing people out of his way and screaming at his men to stop the police. When he reached Juyeon and Younghoon, the doors of the elevator had just closed and he was forced to take the adjacent flight of stairs, a couple of his men following him.</p><p>Thanks to the intervention of the police, they arrived to the basement first. Juyeon was quick to block the door to the staircase, pushing the big table with the computer monitors in front of it, with the help of Younghoon. They had it barricaded just in time for them to hear Mr. Jung curse and scream behind it, his men pushing with all their strength to open it.</p><p>"Free Jaehyun! Quick!"</p><p>Younghoon ordered Juyeon, leaning heavily, back first, against the table, when it had started to move forward under the force of the men pushing from the other side.</p><p>"Eric! You guys have to leave, <em>now!</em> Take the elevator, we'll meet you outside!"</p><p>Juyeon screamed to his friend and he was glad that, for once, the brunette listened without objection. The others following him too, Jacob and Kevin holding a stack of papers each. And Juyeon realized, as he run past the now empty wall, those were all the proofs of Atlantis existence that Mr. Jung had collected there.</p><p>"You came!"</p><p>Jaehyun was standing with his palms open against the glass of his cage, wide eyed and smiling incredulously as Juyeon used the chair closest to him to reach the lid and fumbled with the lock on top.</p><p>"Of course, I came, baby! I'm taking you out of here!"</p><p>He managed to open it with one of the keys and then let the other one fall into the water. Once it was close enough, Jaehyun grabbed it and used it to free himself from the chains around his ankle. </p><p>Then, Juyeon hauled him up and out the tank by his arms, the Prince jumped on him as soon as they were both back on the floor.</p><p>"Juyeonie, I'm so sorry, please forgive m-"</p><p>"No, I <em>am</em> the one who is sorry, I shouldn't have-"</p><p>"I hate to interrupt-" Younghoon screamed as he run to join them, abandoning his place in front of the door  "-but we have to go, like, right now!"</p><p>They didn't get to even take a step towards the passage, the one leading to the beach, that the table had already crushed on the floor as the doors opened. Mr. Jung rushed out of them with his men, one on either side of him with their guns in hand.</p><p>"No one leaves this place till I say so! Ah!-" Mal Chin pointed a warning finger in Juyeon's direction when he had moved to push Jaehyun behind him "-I'm not bluffing! Make a move and they shoot! Now, my crystal!"</p><p>"Let Jaehyun go and I'll give it to you."</p><p>"No!" Jaehyun exclaimed indignantly, at the same time that Mr. Jung said "Jaehyun doesn't go anywhere" in an amused tone. At his words, Younghoon silently tightened his hold on the hilt of his sword as if he was ready to attack. </p><p>Juyeon shook his head signaling him that it wasn't a good idea and Younghoon pointed the blade to the floor, listening to him. Swords against guns weren’t a fair fight.</p><p>"Lee Chin Hae isn't the type to give up something for nothing, who is? Give me the crystal and I'll let you and the Atlantean go."</p><p>"I'm not leaving Jaehyun with you, so you can kill him like you did with his mother!"</p><p>Mr. Jung laughed loudly in response and shook his head, muttering something that sounded like "unbelievable" under his breath.</p><p>"Let's set things straight once and for all. I'm no saint, but I'm not a murderer. Lee Sooyun died that night of twenty years ago by the King's order-"</p><p>"You are a liar! You are lying!"</p><p>And Juyeon had to stop Jaehyun before he could dash to the front and do something stupid. He hugged the blonde close to his chest by the waist and his hold didn't falter even under all of Jaehyun's struggles.</p><p>"I just wanted the kid. Royal blooded, half mermaid... the perfect size to be smuggled out through the portal without anyone noticing. But then, his stupid mother decided to interfere. She lost control of her <em>Charm</em> and would've killed everyone present if the King hadn't given the order to put her down-" he nodded towards Younghoon "-what do you think the Captain here is instructed to do?"</p><p>"Younghoon is his personal guard-" Juyeon shook his head "-he is here to protect Jaehyun!"</p><p>"To protect him or to protect others <em>from</em> him?"</p><p>Juyeon was ready to argue, but one look at Younghoon's dejected face was all it took for him to have Mr. Jung's words confirmed. Jaehyun had went still in his hold, looking at the floor with sagged shoulders and glassy eyes, Juyeon couldn't even imagine how he was feeling right now.</p><p>"It's the King he should watch himself from. I wouldn't harm a hair on that pretty blonde head of his. I <em>need</em> him. You have been there, Juyeon. You <em>saw-</em>" Mr. Jung, as he talked, kept his eyes on Juyeon's only, avoiding to look anywhere close to the Prince "-how rarely they get ill and how fast they heal. Think about it, how many human lives could be saved with their knowledge?"</p><p>"And do you- do you really want me to believe-" Juyeon scoffed, one arm still around the blonde's waist "-that you <em>care</em> about human lives?"</p><p>"Touché. You got me there. I don't, but someone probably does and they could be desperate enough to shell out any amount of money for the answer to all their problems. When I'll be King of Atlantis, I won't be as selfish as your father, Jaehyun. I'll share everything with Land... for the right prince, of course-" Mr. Jung smiled to himself at his perfect plan and then went back to serious the next second, offering out his hand with the palm facing up "-now, give me the crystal."</p><p>Juyeon didn't see any other way out of the situation, but to comply with his demand. He took out the pendant from where it was safely hidden under his shirt. The aquamarine crystal seemed to reflect all the little light there was in the room.</p><p>He slid it off his neck with a hand, the other keeping Jaehyun close to his side, and briefly made eye contact with Younghoon. The Captain seemed to read his mind, he nodded in understanding as Juyeon pushed the Prince to stand near him.</p><p>"You know, Mr. Jung. The first time I set foot on Atlantis, I was told that <em>this-</em>" he pointedly shook the pendant in his hand "-represented trust. You were deprived of yours when you decided to break it. And I don't think you deserve to have mine."</p><p>With that said, he let the crystal fall on the ground and then stepped hard on it with his shoe, breaking it into tiny little fragments.</p><p>"No!"</p><p>Mr. Jung shouted, his voice booming through the basement, but it was too late. Younghoon was already pulling Jaehyun by the wrist towards the opened grate of the passage, ignoring his protests about not wanting to leave Juyeon behind.</p><p>"You-" Mal Chin took a gun from one of the men with him and pointed it at Juyeon himself "-you're going to pay for this!"</p><p>Jaehyun had successfully freed himself from the tight hold Younghoon had on him and was about to make a run to where Juyeon was standing, when more police officers bursted into the room from the opened door of the staircase.</p><p>"Drop the guns and put your hands up, now!"</p><p>Juyeon took advantage of the distraction the police had granted again and joined the two Atlanteans to the broken grate. An officer ordered them not to move, but they all quickly jumped into the water and swam through the passage.</p><p>Mr. Jung shouted angrily and elbowed hard in the face the man immobilizing him before he could handcuff his wrists. The poor police officer, without the help of his colleagues, who were pulling the handcuffed henchmen of Mr. Jung up the stairs, could nothing against the sudden attack.</p><p>Mal Chin disarmed him and used the back of the gun to hit the man on the head, making him go down unconscious just like that. Then, he followed the trio through the half submerged drain passage.</p><p>On the beach, Jaehyun helped Juyeon out of the water holding his hand tightly, while on the path uphill, where the ravenette had parked his car, the loud voices of his friends could be heard. Younghoon was shouting back to make it easier for the little group to find them. </p><p>"You can't stay, Jaehyun. You have to go home! You'll be safer there, till this whole thing is over-"</p><p>"No! I'm <em>not</em> leaving you!"</p><p>Then, a gunshot echoed loudly into the night, making all of them freeze on the spot and turn their heads in alarm.</p><p>Mr. Jung had the gun still pointed to the sky, where he had shot, looking like a madman: drenched in water, with his suit stained red, by both the wine and the blood of the officer he had beaten up, and his overall dishelved appearance.</p><p>"Lee Juyeon!-" the man singsoned as he walked towards them, taking huge leaps on the sand "-you broke my crystal... but, I'm not mad! I promise! How about this, you hand me over Jaehyun and I'll think about letting you and your friends live, mh?"</p><p>The gun in his hand was now pointed towards them as he got closer to their position. Despite the obvious order in Mr. Jung's words, Juyeon pushed Jaehyun ahead to make him move. He knew that the man wasn't going to hurt the blonde, he needed him alive or else King Lee Chin Hae would never come to terms with him.</p><p>"Younghoon is going to take you back to Atlantis, just- just <em>go,</em> please!"</p><p>Said Captain was running back towards them with Juyeon's friends in tow. </p><p>Jaehyun was about to argue again, when another gunshot was heard and the blonde looked with eyes wide in fear as Juyeon crashed ungraciously on the sand, a hand holding the leg were the bullet had hit him.</p><p>"Juyeon! Juyeon, no- please-" Jaehyun kneeled next to him, his shaking hands hovering Juyeon's bloody one. The Prince didn't know where to touch him or how to heal him "-what do I do, what do I do- Younghoon! Younghoon, help me!"</p><p>As Jaehyun panicked and called out desperately for his guard, Juyeon was hissing through gritted teeth to endure the pain of feeling his skin burn were he was injured.</p><p>"Jaehyun... it's okay, it's just a scratch, look-" he tentatively raised his fingers to let the blonde see under them to where the bullet had grazed the skin. But all Jaehyun could see was more fresh blood coming out of the wound, serving only into making him hyperventilate more "-I'll be fine-"</p><p>"Don't come any closer Captain or he's dead. Younghoon, right?-" Mr. Jung had caught up to them in the meantime and had his gun pointed to Juyeon. The man smirked, when his words made Younghoon, and the little group with him, successfully stop not too far away from them. "-<em>Your Highness,</em> you're coming with me. C'mon."</p><p>Jaehyun stood slowly up, looking with glassy eyes at where Juyeon was still laying on the sand. But when Mr. Jung got impatient and made a move to grab his arm, the blonde's gaze hardened instantly and the man took a couple of steps backwards, seeming to have remembered that there was no glass panel to protect him this time.</p><p>"No- don't-"</p><p>"You're going to <em>die.</em>"</p><p>The Prince said unnaturally calm, making his words sound even scarier. Juyeon was quick to hold Jaehyun's pant leg to stop him from moving forward and then pushed himself up with a groan.</p><p>"Jaehyun, no! He doesn't have to die-" But Mr. Jung, weapon long forgotten, was already shuffling towards the sea with his face void of any emotion. The ravenette looked pleadingly at Younghoon, who was just as taken aback as the others. "-stop him!"</p><p>The Captain left his sword join Mr. Jung's gun on the sand and then tackled the man on the ground with little care, Eric went to help restraining him when Mal Chin started to thrash around in order to free himself.</p><p>"He <em>does.</em> He tried to kill you."</p><p>"You're not a murderer, Jaehyun! You're not like him-"</p><p>And Juyeon for a second <em>forgot</em> and it was enough to condemn him. He stared into Jaehyun's eyes, automatically looking for the contact that helped them better understand one another, and found them dark. Darker than usual, almost pitch black and lacking their warmth.</p><p>He had been so lost in them that he hadn't noticed his body was now moving on his own: one moment he was standing in front of Jaehyun and the next he was walking in the direction of the ocean.</p><p>Juyeon wanted to stop, but his body was unresponsive and it kept taking step after step as if on autopilot. He wanted to ask for help, but his mouth was sealed shut and there wasn't anyone listening to the screams in his head. He felt the cold water under his feet and understood that he was going to drown himself, just like Mr. Jung had tried to do.</p><p>The fear he had been feeling vanished completely at the sight of black water twinkling enticingly under the light of the stars, beckoning him closer and closer...</p><p>Then he walked right into something hard, something that was between him and the sea calling for him.</p><p>"Juyeon! I don't want you to die!-" Jaehyun sobbed out, tears streaming down his face in tiny rivulets. He pushed hard against Juyeon's shoulders to stop him, but the ravenette kept pushing back just as hard. "-I don't know what to do, I- I'm sorry, Juyeon. Please, someone... anyone-"</p><p>But Eric and Younghoon were still holding a struggling Mr. Jung on the ground, Jacob was with them helping to hold down one of the man's arm. And the others, his cousin and Changmin, looked just as lost as he was, standing in shook completely paralyzed.</p><p>"Juyeonie, <em>please.</em> I can't lose you-"</p><p>Jaehyun begged again, as he slid forward under Juyeon's strength and they were both knee deep into the water. The younger's eyes looked empty, fixated on the ocean just over the blonde's shoulders. </p><p>The Prince now understood why his father had ordered to kill his mother: he was a <em>monster.</em> And he was going to kill Juyeon because of it, because he didn't know how to control himself. </p><p>The water was at their waist now and Jaehyun was desperate, if the only way to save his Juyeon was for him to die, then so be it. He eyed Younghoon's sword glittering from the beach and decided he could make a run for it. </p><p>He first cupped the ravenette's cheeks in both his hands, forcing Juyeon's eyes to look back in his own.</p><p>Jaehyun wanted to say goodbye, but then Juyeon blinked once and then twice, his eyes now back to normal, <em>alive.</em> He stopped right where he was and called out a tentative "Jaehyun?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. How it ended (or did it?)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The moment Juyeon's eyes had met Jaehyun's, the fog clouding his mind had cleared and he was back in control of his own body. He felt the injury on his leg stinging because of the salted water, but with the blonde holding onto him like his life depended on it and crying on his shoulder, he thought that he could endure the pain a little longer.</p>
<p>Jaehyun had to go back to Atlantis, he needed to speak to his father and let him know he was okay, King Lee Chin Hae was probably one step away from coming to Land himself to bring back his son. Before leaving, Jaehyun had freed Mr. Jung from the trance his Charm had put him under, Eric keeping him at gun point to make him stay put, while Changmin called the police.</p>
<p>Then he had kissed the ravenette as if that was the last time he was going to be able to, but Juyeon didn't think much about it. They had all gotten frightened by what had happened, Juyeon had risked to die, twice, and Jaehyun had been ready to stab himself to death if that was the only way to bring him back. That hadn't been necessary, fortunately.</p>
<p>Mr. Jung had been arrested for embezzlement, illegal possession of weapons and attempted murder. The police didn't find anything regarding the existence of Atlantis in his Villa, not even in the computer in the basement, where the man recorded the movements of the money he stole.</p>
<p>("I always keep a USB driver as a keychain, I transferred the files about Jaehyun in there and deleted them from the computer. Everyone say thank you, Eric." the brunette had said with a bow.)</p>
<p>After being medicated at the hospital and then interrogated at the police station, Juyeon's life went back to normal, more or less. After work, he went to the beach cove and sat on the sand, looking in the direction to where the passage to Atlantis was hidden, and waited. He waited everyday.</p>
<p>He didn't have a crystal to cross it and go to Jaehyun, so waiting was all he could really do. But the blonde Prince never came and Juyeon slowly understood why.</p>
<p>"Still nothing?"</p>
<p>Juyeon hummed in response, but didn't avert his eyes from the rock cliff protected by the strong current and waves crashing in white foam against it.</p>
<p>"Do you think... he is avoiding you?"</p>
<p>Chanhee asked again as he bent down close to where the older was sitting and picked up a little seashell, that he carefully rested on the palm of his other hand, where he was keeping more already.</p>
<p>"He <em>is</em> avoiding me. He feels responsible for what happened last week."</p>
<p>"I don't mean to seem rude, but he is responsible for it. I get it, it's not completely his fault, but you could've died, Juyeon."</p>
<p>"I know-" Juyeon sighed tiredly and laid down on the sand to look at the cloudless sky painting itself in different shades of orange and pink as the sun started to set "-but I didn't. I told you, he controlled it. Jaehyun didn't know what he was capable of, his father kept the truth from him... he doesn't have anyone to teach him, but he <em>can</em> control it. He proved it."</p>
<p>"Maybe, it's his father, who doesn't let him-"</p>
<p>"No. I know Jaehyun, he is avoiding me on purpose."</p>
<p>That was the end of their conversation, Chanhee went back to his seashells hunting and Juyeon to his moping. </p>
<p>Then a dark silhouette appeared in front of him, covering his view of the sky, the unusual clothes made Juyeon mistake them for-</p>
<p>"Jaehyun?-" but when his eyes landed on the annoyingly smiling face of the Atlantean Advisor, he groaned in disappointment "-Ah, Kevin."</p>
<p>"You could at least <em>pretend</em> to be even a little happy to see me!-" Juyeon forced himself to smile tight lipped, making Kevin roll his eyes at the lame attempt "-I brought you this."</p>
<p>Kevin handed him a glass vial of some kind of greenish mixture. The ravenette accepted it with an eyebrow raised in question.</p>
<p>"What's this for?"</p>
<p>"It's seaweed, for the scar on your leg. It's going to help it fade away."</p>
<p>"Thanks."</p>
<p>Juyeon muttered under his breath, deciding against telling Kevin about how he would've preferred a new crystal to be able to visit Jaehyun. He didn't want to sound too ungrateful.</p>
<p>He pocketed the vial and sat back up on the ground, Jaehyun's cousin joining him. And they both looked ahead at the high waves in the distance. Juyeon shook his head, lips quirking up in amusement when he spotted Younghoon and Chanhee walking along the beach close to each other.</p>
<p>"Why do you have so many seashells?"</p>
<p>The Captain asked with his head tilted in confusion and the blonde just shrugged in response handing one from his collection to the Atlantean. Younghoon cleared his throat awkwardly, ears turning red as he accepted the little seashell and said "maybe one day."</p>
<p>It was Chanhee's turn to be confused, but they had reached the spot where Kevin and Juyeon were sitting and as he listened to the two talk, he forgot to ask for an explanation.</p>
<p>"He stays in his chambers most of the time or he goes to the beach to pet the dolphins. He doesn't talk much to anyone, His Majesty included."</p>
<p>"I think he has good reasons not to, his father lied to him all these years and for what?"</p>
<p>"His Majesty was only trying to protect his people. And Jaehyun too. He made a mistake, but in good faith. Now, we know that his capabilities can be controlled. It's just like that one movie Jacob made me watch, you know, the one with the girl with ice powers? Fear will be your enemy? I think it's true. Jaehyun just needs to practice and then-"</p>
<p>"Jacob?-" Juyeon asked with a frown "-you saw him again?"</p>
<p>"Right, I guess you wouldn't know... Jacob lives in Atlantis now. With me. He plays guitar at the Palace or at nobles houses when he is hired. It's been less than a week and he's already doing great!"</p>
<p>Juyeon covered up the unexpected pang of jealousy he felt in his chest with a smile and a nod. He was happy for Jacob, he truly was, the blonde had revealed himself to be an ally and a very good friend after all. But Jacob could be where Juyeon's heart was and he couldn't. That hurt.</p>
<p>"Does Jaehyun know that I'm here? Did you tell him?"</p>
<p>"He knows you are. Like he knows you were here yesterday and the day before that. And like you'll be here tomorr-"</p>
<p>"No... I won't be here tomorrow. Eric enrolled us both in a local surfing competition. I have to attend, but I don't want to miss it, if he came-"</p>
<p>"Go to your competition, don't worry about him. He knows that you don't hate him for what he did... <em>he</em> needs to be the one forgiving himself. He'll come around, Juyeon. Give him time."</p>
<p>Despite his dejected mood, Juyeon listened to Kevin and went to the surfing contest the next day. He was sitting on the sand, far from the crowded area of spectators and judges, and looking attentively at the competitors scheduled before him, Sangyeon included, who were already in the water.</p>
<p>The waves weren't too good and the surfers were doing what they could with what they had. Juyeon felt his anxiety spike the more he looked at them, even after literal years he still hadn't gotten over his fear of competitions.</p>
<p>He played distractedly with a couple of seashells, hoping that it was going to help him stop his hands from shaking. </p>
<p>Both Changmin and Chanhee didn't know how to surf, but they had come to support the three of them. They were currently standing beside him, commenting the performances of the other competitors with Eric, who was leaning against the length of his surfboard stuck in the sand and didn't look nervous, at all. And Juyeon envied him.</p>
<p>"Juyeon, isn't that-"</p>
<p>Chanhee hesitantly pointed in the direction of the person walking towards them along the empty coast and Juyeon looked up only when he heard Changmin gasp behind him.</p>
<p>He was still too far from them to be able to see the details of his clothes or face, but Juyeon would recognize Jaehyun anywhere and before any one could say anything else, he was already running towards the Prince.</p>
<p>"Jaehyun!-" the blonde let the ravenette cover the last couple of meters separating them and Juyeon stopped right in front of him, wide eyed and with an incredulous smile on his face. "-what are you doing here? I didn't-"</p>
<p>"Kevin told me about your competition. I couldn't miss it. Why? Aren't you happy to see me?"</p>
<p>"N-no, of course I am!-" he reassured the blonde quickly and closed both hands into two tight fists to avoid the temptation to touch Jaehyun. He didn't know if he was allowed to and didn't want to cross the line, now that the Prince was finally there and back with him. "-I just, I wasn't expecting you to. But I am, I am happy to see you. I... I missed you."</p>
<p>"I missed you too."</p>
<p>Jaehyun gave him a small smile, adverting his eyes to the sand under their feet before he could look for too long into Juyeon's.</p>
<p>"Jaehyun... you're not going to hurt me-"</p>
<p>"You don't know that. I almost killed you, Juyeon. I don't want to risk it happening again. I don't know how to control it."</p>
<p>"But you do! You do know how!-" he tentatively took Jaehyun's hand in his and when the blonde didn't pull away, Juyeon knew it was okay "-you stopped. You didn't know you had it before, but now you do! It's easier to control something that you know it's there."</p>
<p>Jaehyun didn't say anything and just intertwined their fingers together, keeping his eyes stubbornly on the ground. </p>
<p>"<em>Please,</em> look at me-" Juyeon pleaded and it must've been the desperation in the tone of his voice, that made Jaehyun finally look up "there they are, the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen."</p>
<p>Juyeon wanted to bang his head against his surfboard, hard enough to lose consciousness, that was probably the cheesiest thing he had ever said to anyone. But it didn't have the expected effect, because Jaehyun didn't cringe or laugh... he started to cry instead and Juyeon, albeit confusedly, hugged him tightly. </p>
<p>"Thank you."</p>
<p>Jaehyun whispers against his wetsuit cladded chest and that made him understand just how much his words had meant to the blonde, who considered his newly discovered gift as the worst curse that could happen to someone.</p>
<p>"I know you could never hurt me, because you don't want to."</p>
<p>He said, stroking Jaehyun's back, over his turquoise attire, up and down reassuringly, while the blonde sniffed and wiped at his eyes angrily at the same time.</p>
<p>"You see my son for the first time in a week and you are already making him cry, Lee Juyeon?"</p>
<p>Juyeon froze where he stood, when he heard the voice of King Lee Chin Hae sound close to him. He let go of the Prince to turn around and bow respectfully to the man holding the trident, an apology already on the tip of his tongue.</p>
<p>"It's not his fault, Father. Being able to see him again must've overwhelmed me... I'm fine, these are happy tears."</p>
<p>Jaehyun smiled reassuringly at his father and at Juyeon's friends, who had just joined them. The King eyed interestedly the humans beside him and Juyeon took advantage of the distraction to ask the blonde about him.</p>
<p>"We are okay now, I think. He still mourns Mother everyday. He told me that she was the one who... asked to be stopped. She didn't know how to control herself and didn't want innocent people to die because of her-" Jaehyun raised one of his small and ring adorned hands to stop Juyeon from opening his mouth "-I know what you're going to say and no, I don't believe so. He doesn't have any reason left to lie. He loved Mother so much... he still doesn't know how to forgive himself for what he did."</p>
<p>"I know someone who has the same exact problem."</p>
<p>That made Jaehyun slap his chest and the ravenette gasped dramatically, pretending to be hurt and successfully making the Prince chuckle. Juyeon felt his heart become lighter in his chest at the sound.</p>
<p>"Would staying on Land-" the King started with a fond smile, after he had seen the exchange "-with Juyeon make you happy, Jaehyun?"</p>
<p>The blonde looked from his father to Juyeon, he seemed visibly taken aback by the question. He tentatively nodded, taking a step closer to the younger.</p>
<p>"I brought you much pain and disappointment lately... for that, I'm deeply sorry, Jaehyun. Because what truly matters to me, is your safety and happiness. And I know now that you're going to be both with Juyeon."</p>
<p>"You are-" </p>
<p>"Yes. I'm letting you stay-" Jaehyun smiled brightly and hugged his father, despite the fact that it wasn't something done between royals in the daily or at all. The blonde was never one to follow rules anyway. "<em>-for now.</em> I want you to come back home to visit often and I expect a wedding by the end of the year."</p>
<p>"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"</p>
<p>Jaehyun tightened his hold on his father and the King patted his blonde head lightly. It was a little awkward to watch, but it was probably the most displayed affection Jaehyun had ever received from his father, if his impossible wide smile was anything to go by.</p>
<p>"Juyeon... I'm sorry, but it's our turn. We have to go."</p>
<p>Eric nodded towards the beach, where the first group of competitors was getting back ashore.</p>
<p>"Prepare yourself for the best waves you've ever seen in your life, Lee Juyeon. You better not let us down."</p>
<p>Juyeon bowed in gratitude to the King and went to pick his surfboard back up from where it was laying on the sand. He eyed the seashells he had been playing with before and took a fan-shaped one with the outline of a pretty shade of raspberry pink and without thinking too much about it, he brought it to Jaehyun. The blonde shook his head and rolled his eyes, but the way they were already getting glassy again betrayed him, he wasn't really annoyed.</p>
<p>"You already know my answer to that."</p>
<p>"I want to hear you say it, though."</p>
<p>"<em>Yes.</em>"</p>
<p>And then Juyeon kissed him on the lips and then again a second and a third time, because "it's going to bring me good luck." Jaehyun just shook his head in amusement and watched him go, holding the little gift close to his chest and his heart.</p>
<p>"I don't understand-" Chanhee frowned from where he was standing close to Changmin "-Juyeon gave him a seashell, he didn't ask him anything-"</p>
<p>"It's an Atlantean tradition, giving someone a seashell means that you're asking their hand in marriage. I think it's romantic, don't you think?"</p>
<p>Chanhee smiled and nodded along to the brunette's words, because it was, indeed. Something so little and trivial to have such a deep meaning behind it. Then, the smile dropped from his face just as fast as it had appeared, when he remembered that he had given a seashell to Younghoon the day before.</p>
<p>"Oh... sh-"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Aaaand that’s all folks! </p>
<p>I would like to thank every single one of you who took the time to read this thing till the end (despite the mistakes and the broken English, that’s dedication!), to leave kudos and comments! It really meant a lot to me!</p>
<p>I loved writing for you guys and who  knows, maybe I’ll feel inspired to write some other Jujae/Jumil fic and we’ll see each other again? </p>
<p>Until that day comes, take care everyone♡</p>
<p><a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/lixsterr">Twitter</a> |  <a href="https://www.wattpad.com/user/lixsterr">Wattpad</a></p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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